I Fell For Your Smile
by FinnickOdair-Will-Live-Forever
Summary: "I guess you're a better actor than I thought!" "What's that supposed to mean?" "It means that I know the truth! You never loved me, Cato!" Hollywood actor Cato Woods gets thrown into the deep end when he winds up stranded on a farm in Oregon. Not only does he have to actually work HARD, but he finds himself falling for the farmer's snappy stepdaughter who intrigues him so much. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. :) This is the first chapter of my Clato AU. It's kind of like a taster, because I won't continue it until I've finished Careers Assemble. (But there are only two chapters to go on that.) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

Cato sighed as he took huge gulps from his bottle of water. He sat down on his couch and pulled off the brown wig.

"Knock-knock!" Somebody called from behind his trailer door.

"Come in!" He called back, resting his head in his hands. He was exhausted. He had, after all, been filming for a solid six hours. It was the last day of shooting, and the crew had been going over the tape when the director had decided that Cato needed to shoot the longest seen again. It had taken three hours to get it right the first time, and it had taken them twice as long this time.

"Are you excited?" Marvel, his stylist, asked when he burst into the room followed by his manager, Finnick. Marvel was Cato's age, but Finnick was twenty five. Effie, Cato's personal assistant and Peeta, his best friend, walked in behind the other two. Cato didn't particularly like Effie, but she was his mom's friend and damn good at her job.

"No. I just want to go back to New York." Cato mumbled.

"Well, you can't. Do you know how many autograph signings I've arranged for you?" Effie asked.

"No."

"Twenty three. And I've booked you places on about six different buses. If we don't leave within the next hour we'll be thrown off schedule." Effie scowled.

"Fine, fine." Cato sighed. He pulled himself up and grabbed one of his suitcases. Peeta took the other and they started rolling them across the floor and out of the trailer.

"You're the one that wanted to go on this trip anyway. I said we could stay here and you could take another movie, but no. You wanted to 'tour the states'. It's not like you've lived here all your life or anything." Finnick said as Cato and Peeta threw the bags into the trunk of the limo that would drive them to the bus station.

"No, Finn. I've lived in _New York _for all my life. It's the only state I've been in, except for the one we're in now and I hate it here." Cato pulled a face. He was only touring the states to try and get inspiration for his second album. Cato had been in movies sand the occasional television show since he was fourteen. He had released his first album at sixteen. Now, he was eighteen and wanted to focus a bit more on music. Unfortunately, he had no inspiration. As a result, he had decided that a tour of the states would get his creative juices flowing.

"Whatever. And Washington isn't _that _bad." Finnick grumbled, climbing into the limo.

"It's boring here. I would never have come if it wasn't for the movie." Cato climbed in behind him, followed by Peeta and Marvel.

"Why do you always complain so much?" Marvel asked, pouring himself a glass of champagne.

"Because he's an ass, that's why." Peeta laughed.

-Line Break-

"Will you get off me?"

"No, you have a reputation to live up too!"

"Exactly, so get off me!" Cato demanded. He was sat in between Effie and Marvel on the bus to California via Oregon. They were driving through Oregon farmland and Cato had been eating a sandwich. He had a mayonnaise smear on the corner of his mouth and Effie kept reaching over to try and wipe it off.

"No, we have to get this off of you!" Effie protested, reaching over again. By now, people were starting to stare. They were sat three rows behind the driver, and Cato could tell that he was starting to get irritated. Cato moved his arm to knock Effie's hand away and ended up elbowing Marvel in the nose.

"Ouch!" He yelled, clutching his now broken nose.

"Effie!" Cato groaned. "That was your fault!"

"It was not! You're the one that-"

"Right! That's it!" The driver shouted. He pulled over on the side of the road.

"You three, get off my bus!" He said. Sighing heavily, the three stood up and exited the bus. Finnick and Peeta rolled their eyes and followed them after gathering together all of the luggage from the overhead cabinets. When they were safely on the side of the road, the bus drove off, leaving them in a cloud of dust.

"Great. This is just great. Why do you have to be so annoying, Effie? Now we're stranded in Oregon!" Cato yelled. The only civilisation they could see amongst the fields was two farmhouses.

"Oh my Gosh, we're going to be so much behind schedule!" Effie started to have a mini panic attack. Peeta put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"On the bright side, the mayonnaise is gone." Marvel pointed out.

"There is no bright side to this!" Cato exploded. "It's hot! There's dust in places I never wanted dust in and we've only been here two minutes! I'm exhausted and I just wanted to get to California, sign a few autographs and go to sleep. This has _got _to be some kind of joke!"

"Calm down!" Finnick snapped. "Look, there's two farmhouses. Choose one and we'll ask if we can stay the night." One farmhouse was about a quarter mile in front of them, and the other was about half a mile behind them. Cato sighed and pointed at the closest one. They began the trek to the farmhouse, each of them pulling two suitcases. When they reached the house, Finnick hesitantly knocked on the door.

"What if an axe murderer lives there?" Cato asked. Before Finnick could reply, a smiling lady with brown hair opened the door. She couldn't have been older than thirty five but she was dressed like a middle-aged farmer's wife, apron and all.

"Hello Ma'am. Sorry to bother you." Finnick said, smiling politely. "My name's Finnick Odair. This is Marvel Johnson, Effie Trinket, Peeta Mellark and Cato Woods."

"My name is Mandy Burrows." The lady smiled back. Cato noted that she had kind eyes.

"Well, Mrs Burrows, we were wondering if you had anywhere we could stay." Finnick said, and then told her the full story.

"Why don't you come inside? I'll talk to my husband about it and we'll fix up that young man's nose." She smiled again and pulled the door open wider before walking through.

"I don't think she's an axe murderer." Finnick muttered before going after Mrs Burrows. Cato rolled his eyes and walked in last, closing the door behind him.

-Line Break-

"From the sounds of things, you're lucky my husband recognized you off of the television!" Mrs Burrows laughed as Finnick re-told the story for everybody else sat at the dinner table.

"It was lucky indeed, Mrs Burrows." Peeta smiled.

"Oh, that reminds me! I haven't introduced you to everyone! I'm, as you know, Mandy. I'm thirty four. This is my husband Nick, he's thirty six. That's my daughter Katniss, she's sixteen. This is my brother-in-law Haymitch and his daughter Annie. She's twenty three, he's forty. This is my sister Paylor; she's thirty eight and her daughter, Jackie. She's seventeen. That's Gale, he's eighteen. He lives on the farm down the road, but he's Katniss' best friend so he often joins us for dinner. And you'll meet my other daughter, Clove, any second now. She's seventeen. She's feeding the chickens, but she should be finishing up right now." Mandy said, gesturing to each person in turn before digging into her roast beef again.

"So, tell us about yourselves." Nick said, popping a potato into his mouth.

"I'm Finnick; I've been working as Cato's manager since he was fifteen. I'm twenty five. I, uh…I love the ocean." Finnick said, not sure what to say."

"Me too." Annie said quietly. Finnick smiled at her and she blushed slightly.

"I'm Effie Trinket. I'm Cato's PA. I manage his appointments and activity schedule. I'm thirty five. I _love _clothes!" Effie clapped her hands.

"I'm Peeta; I'm seventeen and I work in my dad's bakery when I'm not going places with this chump." Peeta said, thumping Cato on the back of his head.

"I'm Marvel, I'm eighteen. I'm Cato's stylist and I _really _don't enjoy having my nose broken." Marvel said, rubbing his now bandaged nose. Cato stayed silent and everybody stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

"You too, Cato dearie. Tell us about yourself." Mandy gave him an encouraging smile.

"Seriously? But _everyone _knows who I am." Cato said, rolling his eyes.

"I for one have no _idea _who you are. And when my mother asks you to do something, you do it." Cato and his friends turned their heads at the sound of a female voice. A girl was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest, listening to what the newcomers were saying. She was pale with black hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a red and black checked shirt and blue jeans with wellington boots. Cato's eyebrows rose, not only at her rude tone of voice but at how pretty she was.

"Now now, Clove dear. Don't be snappy with the guests. This is my daughter Clove." Mandy said, the last part aimed at the guests.

"You're sat in my seat." Clove said to Cato. Nick sent her a look, causing her to roll her eyes as she took the only available seat.

"Umm…I'm Cato Woods, eighteen, from New York. I'm an actor and a singer. Oh, and I _hate _farms." Cato said, shovelling food into his mouth.

"Great, city folk. Our pigs have more manners than you." Clove said. The disgust was evident in her voice.

"Clove! Don't be so rude! I think you need to go upstairs." Nick scolded.

"Gladly." Clove retorted, stomping out of the room.

"Sorry about her. She doesn't take well to visitors, but you're welcome to stay as long as you like." Mandy smiled. _I think I will. _Cato thought to himself. _That girl could be just the inspiration I need._


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews. :) I decided to post this seeing as I only have one chapter left of Careers Assemble. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

Clove Burrows had always been the kind of girl that kept herself to herself. So, when a megastar and his lackeys appeared on her doorstep, she wasn't exactly happy. And when she found out what an ass the megastar was, she wasn't even pissed off. She was _furious_.

"Gladly." She retorted, stomping out of the room. She slammed the dining room door shut behind her. She stomped up the stairs and pressed the button on the wall that lowered the ladder to the attic. Clove had grown tired of everybody invading her privacy on the second floor. It was understandable, seeing as she lived with her sister, two cousins, her aunt, her uncle, her mother and her stepfather. When she was fourteen, Clove had persuaded her mother to let her change the attic into a bedroom. Her uncle Haymitch and Nick had helped her move her double bed, couch and other furniture into the attic. Then, she had painted the sloped roof white and the walls pale blue. She had attached a padlock to the lock on the side of the trap door that was in her bedroom so that nobody would bother her. She had, of course, given Katniss the only other key. Clove climbed the ladder and pressed the identical button in her room to raise the ladder again. Then she threw herself onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Less than five minutes later, she heard the ladder fall and the trap door popped open.

"Clove?"

"No. I'm a talking mannequin." Clove rolled her eyes. "Duh it's me, Katniss!"

"Right. Silly me." Katniss said sarcastically before sitting down next to Clove. Clove also pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Why aren't you with the others?" Clove asked after a few minutes of silence.

"This is about your dad, isn't it?" Katniss answered, ignoring Clove's question. Clove groaned and fell backwards so that she was looking up at the ceiling.

"_Yes. _I haven't seen him since I was six. Not a card, not a phone call. Famous people suck! They're all assholes!" She sighed. Clove had lived with her dad until she was six. He'd leave her home alone all the time so that he could shoot various scenes in various movies. Eventually social services had found out and tracked down her mother and half-sister. Clove had gone to live with them, as well as her stepfather and her other relatives.

"You shouldn't make that judgement, Clove. You don't even know the guy." Katniss said. She had always been the more reasonable one of the pair. They treated each other like full sisters, even though they were only half-siblings.

"I know that. But it's hard, okay? Besides, he seems like an ass." Clove scowled.

"You were such a liar when you said you hadn't heard of him." Katniss grinned.

"I _haven't _heard of him." She protested.

"Glimmer has six copies of his albums, every single one of his movies on DVD and a life sized cardboard cut-out of him. Ring any bells?"

"She is _never _going to leave this place when she finds out he's staying here."

_-Line Break-_

"Get up." Clove demanded. Cato groaned and pulled the sheets over him more tightly.

"Nooo." He mumbled.

"Yes."

"Nu-uh."

"Fine." She muttered. Cato sighed peacefully when he heard her leaving the room. His peaceful sleep was interrupted when Clove threw a bucket of icy water over his head.

"Ahh!" He screamed and shot out of the bed.

"That's better." Clove smiled and started to make the bed.

"What the hell? It's seven o'clock! What are you doing?!" Cato yelled.

"Auntie Paylor says I have to make your bed. Oh, and Uncle Haymitch says if you want to stay here, you have to help pick fruit. And after lunch, my mom wants me to give you a tour of the farm." Clove explained. She laughed to herself as she watched him scrambling around the room, trying to find a shirt.

"Like what you see then, Clove? Seeing as you're kind of checking me out?" Cato asked, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Actually, no. You're a meathead. I was watching you make a fool out of yourself." She tossed him a pair of his jeans that she found on the floor.

"Change. I'll be waiting outside."

When Cato and Clove reached the orchids, there were two ladders waiting for them.

"I can't believe you're making me do this." Cato muttered, picking up a ladder and setting it against a tree.

"Oh, please. You're friends are shearing sheep. I figured this was the only thing you could handle, pretty boy." Clove shot back.

"What, did you stay up all night thinking about what jobs you want me to do? Because I'll do any job _you _want me to do." Cato grinned seductively, picking the first apple from his tree.

"Hell no. I told my mom when we were milking cows at six o'clock this morning that I didn't want you shearing a hole through our prized sheep's skin. So, she suggested this." Clove basket already contained five apples and Cato marveled at her speed.

_And honestly baby, you drive me a little crazy_

_But I love you anyway_

_When I'm not with you my thoughts tend to go hazy_

_But I love you anyway_

_And you're the one who'll make my wishes come true_

_My darling, I only want you_

"So you _have _heard of me." Cato snickered at her ringtone. It was one of his earliest songs.

"It's the only one of your songs that I don't despise." Clove said before pulling her phone out of her back pocket and answering it.

"Hello?" She snapped. Cato couldn't hear the other voice, but whatever was said caused Clove to sigh. _Not that was really that hard to make her sigh._

"I'm really busy, Glimmer. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? You can tell me all about him then." Clove sighed again as she hung up her phone and shoved it back in her pocket.

"Who's Glimmer? And what kind of a name is that anyway?" Cato asked.

"She's my best friend and you're biggest fan. She called me to tell me that she bought her seventh copy of your album today." Clove rolled her eyes.

"Oh my God. Is she the same Glimmer that sent me a box full of pictures of herself?"

"That's the one."

"She scared me."

"Hey guys!" A head suddenly popped out from the tree Clove was picking fruit from, causing her to almost fall off of her ladder.

"Jesus, Rue! What have I told you about 'surprise attacking' fruit pickers?" Clove asked.

"Sorry." Rue giggled. I heard another giggle from the tree opposite and another head popped out, this one blonde.

"This is Rue, she's twelve. She lives on the farm down the road." Clove said, before turning her gaze to the other tree.

"And that's Prim. My other sister."

"Hey!" The blonde girl waved.

"Get down from the trees you two and help us pick this god damn fruit." Clove said. The girls both mumbled under the breath before dropping down from their trees to climb different ones for fruit.

"Better." Clove smiled slightly. It was only a small smile. It barely even _counted _as a smile, but it still made Cato's heart flutter slightly. But, obviously, he was too stubborn to admit it.

_-Line Break-_

"So…Do you have some kind of system? Because in New York I had a guy that served me lunch." Cato asked as Clove pushed open the doors to the dining room. Plates of sandwiches, bowls of chips and trays of cake lined the table.

"Yeah." Clove said, sidestepping to avoid one of Rue's younger siblings. "Grab what you want and get the hell out."

"But-" Cato started but Clove was already gone, lost in the crowd of her relatives and friends from the neighboring farm. Cato sighed and weaved himself in and out of the mass of people.

"You're never going to guess what I bought toady!" Peeta said, appearing at his side as Cato loaded a paper plate with sandwiches and cake.

"What?" Cato asked, only half interested.

"Paintballs! And paintball guns!" Peeta said excitedly, also filling his plate.

"Why would you need paintballs on a farm?" Cato frowned.

"I just thought they'd be fun…" Peeta trailed off.

"Well, you're an idiot." Cato responded, scanning the room. He spotted Clove sandwiched in between Katniss and Jackie. He scowled and walked to the opposite side of the room when he realized that there were no empty seats anywhere near her. He supposed that torturing her with awkward questions would have to wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I haven't updated in ages, I broke almost all of my fingers and I couldn't type, so if there's any spelling mistakes that's why. :( I don't own The Hunger Games.**

"Just give me the damn keys, Finnick." Cato hissed, snatching at the keys that were dangling from his manager's hand.

"Nu-uh!" Finnick pulled his hand make, and Cato's hand swiped at the air instead.

"Why?" He whined.

"Because you won't tell me where you're going!" Finnick pointed out, raising an eyebrow. Finnick and Effie had rented cars and seeing as Cato was too young to rent a car and didn't want to drive Effie's bright pink one, he had been mothering Finnick to let him use his car.

"Let him have the keys. All he's going to do is follow Clove." Marvel smirked, but he shut up when Cato shot him a glare.

"Is that true?" Finnick asked, smirking slightly.

"Oh, like you weren't watching Annie in the tractor yesterday!" Cato laughed, but not in a humorous way. Finnick flushed bright red, causing Peeta to snicker.

"Well, she _is _pretty hot." The younger boy said. Finnick turned around to glare menacingly at him. Cato took the opportunity to grab the keys and get the hell out of the farmhouse before Finnick made some cutting remark about how Peeta had spent the whole evening ogling Katniss. He sighed as he climbed into the car. Clove had left the house about five minutes ago, and he could just about see her walking down the dusty track. Cato sped down the road and hit the brakes when he was right next her. The car did a half spin, covering Clove in dust and blocking up the road.

"Bastard." Clove muttered under her breath, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at Cato.

"Your school's that way." Cato pointed out, gesturing to the opposite direction.

"How do _you _know where my school is?" Clove asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I have my ways." Cato smirked in response.

"Whatever. Just move your piece of junk. It's kind of blocking the road." Clove sighed.

"Tell me where you're going. Oh, and by the way, this car isn't junk. It's not amazing, but it'll do until I get my Ferrari shipped out here." Cato smiled proudly at the mention of his beloved car back in New York.

"You're getting it shipped here?" Clove asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course."

"So…That means you're staying for a long time?"

"Of course."

"Kill me." Clove groaned, face palming herself.

"No, because you were just about to tell me where you're going." Cato grinned annoyingly. Clove sighed again and ran a hand over her ponytail.

"I'm going to my boyfriend's house. He lives on the farm down the road. Is that okay with you?" Clove asked sarcastically.

"No." Cato knew he was angry, but he knew he shouldn't be. He had no claim on Clove. He knew that he couldn't just walk into her life and snatch her up from any other guy just because she interested him. But he also knew that he could split up Clove and her boyfriend.

"Why not?" Clove frowned.

"I want to give you a ride." Cato grinned, before grabbing Clove's wrist and yanking her towards the car. He pulled the door open and shoved her inside. He dashed over to the driver's side and started the engine before Clove could get out of the car. He sped of down the road, ignoring Clove's protested. Cato pulled up outside the farmhouse he had chosen to visit when he and his crew first arrived two days ago.

"Stay in the car." Clove muttered, throwing the door open and climbing out. Cato, of course, disobeyed her and joined Clove on the doorstep of the white farmhouse.

"Are you deaf or something?" Clove hissed.

"No. Are you stupid?" Cato asked, smirking mischievously.

"What? _No_." Clove snapped in response. The pair were too busy arguing to notice that the door had been flung open.

"Clove!" Clove shut up and accepted the hug from her best friend.

"Hey, Glimmer." Clove smiled once Glimmer had let go of her.

"O-oh my God…Y-y-y-you…Y-y-you're…CATO WOODS!" Glimmer yelled, wrapping her arms around Cato's neck and squeezing him tightly.

"Can't…Breathe." Cato muttered, turning a delightful shade of purple.

"Sorry! But _wow_! I can't believe you're actually _here_! With _Clove_!" Glimmer clapped her hands excitedly.

"He's only staying for a few days." Clove said, rolling her eyes. "He got thrown off of his bus for being an asshole."

"Ouch." Cato placed a hand on his heart and pretended to be hurt.

"Glim? Is that Clove?" A male voice asked. A boy stepped out from another room and grinned when he saw Clove.

"Heya, Darius." Clove said. The boy stepped out of the house and pecked Clove on the cheek.

"Who's this?" Darius asked protectively, pointing to Cato.

"Are you kidding me? I'm Cato Woods!" Cato frowned.

"The one Glimmer's obsessed with?"

"That's the one!" Glimmer squealed. "Clove and Darius have only been together for about a month. He's mine and Gale's cousin. We're the only people that know, except for Katniss and Jackie."

"Ah. So it's a secret. Wouldn't it be a shame if your mother found out?" Cato asked, smirking yet again.

"You wouldn't." Clove predicted.

"Oh, but I would." Cato grinned. He stopped grinning however when Clove punched him in the windpipe.

"Okay…" He groaned. "I won't."

"Good. Now drive us to the school."

-Line Break-

Clove stomped inside the house at three o'clock and threw her rucksack onto the floor. She shoved the kitchen door open and saw her mother washing the dishes.

"Okay. He has to go." Clove said firmly, balling her fists.

"Who?" Her mother asked, but Clove could tell that she knew.

"_Him_. The thing that's staying in our biggest guest house!" Clove yelled.

"Sweetie, I think you need to calm down."

"I can't!"

"Well, what has he done?" Mandy put the plate she was holding down and turned to face her daughter.

"He told half the school that I was one of his groupies." Clove scowled. She scowled even more when her mother started laughing.

"It's not funny, mom! Three quarters of the school's guys have asked me for my number because they said that 'I'm Cato's groupie so I must be experienced.'!" Clove shouted. At that moment, Cato sauntered into the kitchen.

"Hello, Mrs Burrows. Clove." Cato said, winking at the black haired girl. Clove screamed in frustration and thundered out of the room and up the stairs, already plotting her revenge.

"She'll come around, love. I'm sure of it." Mandy smiled sympathetically before patting Cato on the head and leaving the room so he could finish washing the dishes.

**Again, sorry for the late update. Next chapter, Clove's revenge. :) And possibly another ship, I haven't decided yet but your reviews will help me. :) Tell me which one. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :) Also, do you think this fic should include Marvel/Johanna or Marvel/Glimmer?**

Cato was settled down in a large green armchair watching television with the rest of the farmhouse residents, ignoring the glare Clove was shooting him and tapping on his I-phone when the living room door was thrown open. A girl who looked to be about nineteen burst into the room, lugging a suitcase behind her. She had brown eyes and dark hair and to be honest, she scared the living shit out of Cato.

"You. Boy." She growled, pointing to Cato. "You're in my seat."

"Johanna!" Clove exclaimed, jumping up and hugging the girl.

"Hey kid." She responded gruffly. They hugged for a few seconds before releasing each other. Johanna turned around and looked at Cato expectantly. He shot out of the seat, almost dropping his phone, and sat down in a smaller chair next to Haymitch.

"Hello, Johanna." Mandy smiled tensely. The others in the room all looked slightly nervous, like Johanna was unpredictable.

"Mandy. Nick. I'm hoping your offer is still standing." The girl grunted.

"Of course." Mandy replied. The room was thick with tension. Cato made a mental note to himself to find out what was up with that Johanna girl, seeing as she clearly wasn't one of the beloved relatives.

"Right, Cato and I should get started with the pigs before it gets too dark out. See you guys later." Clove said. She walked over to Cato, grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the room.

"Wanted to get me alone now, did you?" He teased.

"No. I want you to pig heard." Clove said, already bored and irritated by the conversation.

"Is that even a thing?"

"Our pigs have been out in the mud field all day. Seeing as you didn't enjoy apple picking and you made up disgusting lies this morning, I figured you could be the one to herd them out of the mud and into their sty." Clove smirked.

"Well, that doesn't sound fun. Or clean." Cato frowned, pulling on a pair of Nick's old Wellington boots.

"Nope." Clove said, shoving a raincoat into his arms.

"You're making me herd muddy pigs in the rain?" Cato asked doubtfully.

"Yep. Through a field of pure mud." Clove grinned, pulling on her own coat and boots before pushing open the door. She turned and smirked at him before stepping outside.

"Welcome to the farmyard life, Cato."

-Line Break-

"So…This is the field?" Cato asked, raising an eyebrow at the sight of it. Although he said field, it was more like a huge mud puddle. He could barely see the pigs wallowing in the mud.

"Yeah. Look, there's the sty. I'll stand by the gate and open it. You herd the pigs towards it." Clove explained. Cato looked down doubtfully at his Dolce and Gabbana hoodie and jeans.

"Are you definitely sure about this?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm definitely sure I want you to get your designer clothes and pretty boy face covered in mud." Clove said, her gaze hardening.

"Aww, Clove. You think I'm pretty." Cato smirked.

"Whatever. Just start herding when I open the gate." Clove grumbled. She jogged through the mud, not slipping once, and opened the gate to pigsty. Cato watched the once pink animals lumbering around in the mud before taking a deep breath and walking towards one of them.

"Go!" He yelled, flapping his hand in the direction of the pigsty. "Go in there!"

"You have to chase them!" Clove shouted from the gate.

"Of course. _Of course_ I have to chase the pigs through the mud puddle." Cato mumbled to himself. He chased the pigs for a few seconds, before slipping over and landing on his stomach. He groaned and pulled himself up. He was covered in mud.

"Go on you stupid lumps of pork!" Cato yelled, chasing several pigs in the direction of the gate. Clove shut the gate behind them and said,

"Go and get the rest, I'll open the gate again when you're near."

"You say it like it's a simple thing to do." Cato mumbled.

"It is."

"Okay then." Cato picked Clove up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down! Put me down you asshole!" She screamed, pounding her fists against his back. Cato laughed to himself and dropped her on her back in the mud.

"There." He laughed. "I put you down."

"I'm going to _kill _you!" Clove screeched, jumping up and chasing him through the mud.

"I don't want to die!" Cato screamed, sprinting away from her. He slipped again and fell, this time on his butt. Clove kicked him in the side several times.

"You think this is _funny_?! I hate you! Of all the houses in all the cities in all the states in America, you had to choose _my _house to live in and _my _life to ruin!" She yelled in frustration.

"Clove, I-"

"No! Shut up! You can do this by yourself! Good _fucking _luck with not losing any of the pigs!" She grabbed Cato by the collar.

"And if you _do_ lose any…Lyme will kill you. If I don't beat her to it!" She dropped his collar and ran back to the farmhouse. Cursing himself for being an idiot, Cato pulled himself off of the floor.

"Well, I fucked _that _up." He muttered to himself. He pulled his muddy cell phone out of his back pocket and tapped in Finnick's number.

"Finn? I need your help. With herding pigs." He sighed.

"Sorry man, you're on your own. I'm busy at the moment." Finnick replied.

"But-"

"Gotta go, bye!" Finnick cut the call and Cato shoved his phone back in his pocket, grumbling to himself.

"What are _you_ looking at?" He snapped at one of the pigs.

-Line Break-

"So, Annie. You come here often?" Finnick asked when Annie walked into the barn, a bottle of milk in her hand.

"Um, yes. I live here." She giggled.

"Oh. Right." Finnick mumbled, blushing red. Annie opened the gate to a wooden pen that couldn't have been bigger than three metres by two metres.

"Her mother died two days ago. The poor thing's not even three weeks old." Annie frowned, crouching down and placing the teat of the baby bottle into the lamb's mouth.

"Has she got a name?" Finnick asked, crouching next to Annie and placing his hand on her elbow. She blushed slightly and he ran a hand over the lamb's short woolly coat.

"Tilly." Annie smiled warmly. "I think I might give her to Clove for a birthday present.

"She's beautiful." Finnick muttered in her ear. "Just like you."


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :( See if any of you catch the My Sister's Keeper quote, I love that book. :)**

"Happy birthday, Clove!" The household yelled when Clove waked into the dining room that evening. Rolling her eyes, she sat down in her usual seat.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Lyme asked.

"Yeah, like 'Where's my birthday booze?'." Haymitch added, causing everyone to laugh. Even Cato managed a chuckle. Katniss and Jackie both pulled presents out from under their chairs and handed them to Clove.

"I told you I didn't want anything." Clove groaned, accepting the presents. She unwrapped the one from Jackie, revealing an Oregon Ducks football jersey. It had a few signatures squiggled on the back.

"Oh my God." Clove gasped, instantly pulling it on over her shirt. It was two sizes too big, but she clearly didn't care.

"Where did you get it?"

"E-bay." Jackie grinned. "Junk heaven."

"The Ducks aren't junk."

"They could be better." Cato smirked from across the table, earning a glare and a kick in the shin.

"Don't. The Ducks are her life." Jackie smiled. "Anyway, open the next one."

"Yes Sir." Clove rolled her eyes. She pulled the wrapping paper from the present, revealing a small box. She opened the box and tipped out its contents. A CD fell onto the table. She picked it up and read the front.

"Cato Woods. Platinum edition. That's not funny, Katniss."

"Yes it is." Katniss laughed, before grabbing the CD from Clove. She handed it to Cato and a pen from her pocket.

"Sign it, please."

"Gladly." Cato grinned, before signing it 'To Clove, my biggest fan ever! X.'

"Might want to frame that." Katniss said after Cato handed it back to Clove.

"Yeah, I'll put it right in between the banana peel and the apple core in my trash can." Clove scowled.

"Clove!" Mandy scolded. Clove held her hands up in surrender and accepted a card from Cato. She opened it, only to find no card inside but hundred dollar bills.

"Fucking hell." She muttered, counting the money. "Eight hundred dollars? Are you _crazy_?!"

"Crazy? No. Rich? Yes." Cato smirked. Clove pushed the envelope into his hand.

"I don't take money or other impersonal gifts from assholes. Sorry." Clove said, standing up. "I have to go. Annie wants me to meet her in the barn."

-Line Break-

"Out of bed. Now." Cato demanded, thumping on the door to the room Peeta was staying in.

"Why?" Peeta asked. He pulled the door open a few seconds later. His hair was a mess and he looked like he had been sleeping for two days.

"It's six o'clock in the afternoon. We're going shopping." Cato said firmly.

"Take Effie. She likes shopping." Peeta said.

"No. I need to get Clove a present, she didn't want the money."

"I told you she wouldn't take it. She has way too much self-respect." Peeta smirked.

"Shut up." Cato said, pulling Peeta out of his room.

They drove around for an hour, looking for the nearest mall.

"They really do live in the middle of nowhere." Cato grumbled. Peeta rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Don't moan. Just _drive_." After a few more minutes, they eventually, they found a store.

"I'm pretty sure this place only sells umbrellas and walking shoes." Peeta said, pointing at a display of mountain boots.

"Well, Clove lives on a farm. She might enjoy this kind of stuff." Cato said, searching through a rack of rain coats.

"Yes, because nothing says 'I like you' like a family sized tent."

"I don't like Clove." Cato protested.

"Then why are you going through so much trouble to get her a decent birthday present?" Peeta asked, smirking when Cato had no answer.

"I've got it!" Cato yelled, grabbing a pair of black wellies and taking them to the check out. "Got those water proof paints with you?"

"Back at the house, yeah." Peeta replied as Cato hurriedly paid for the wellies.

"Good, we'll be needing them."

**Meanwhile:**

"Clove, where's Cato and his friend?" Glimmer asked, taking a seat in between Clove and Nick at the dinner table. She had been invited over to dinner by Clove and now that she was done flirting with Marvel, she wanted to know the whereabouts of her idol.

"Do I look like Cato's keeper?" Clove snapped in response, taking a bight from her birthday cake slice.

"Clove, be nice." Mandy sighed, taking a sip of her wine.

"Well he _has_ kind of ruined my birthday." Clove grumbled after swallowing her mouthful of chocolate cake.

"How?" Glimmer gasped in shock.

"He tried to give me eight hundred dollars like I was some kind of…Stripper!" Clove explained.

"You don't look like a stripper, darling." Effie smiled kindly.

"Thanks. I'm going out to the barn." Clove grunted.

-Line Break-

"Knock, knock."

"Don't say 'knock, knock'. Just knock." Clove sighed, stepping away from the small pen to face Cato.

"Um, sorry?" He was holding a brown bag under his arm.

"What's in the bag?" Clove asked, expecting a bomb. Cato grinned and held it out in front of him.

"Your present." He said. Clove took the bag suspiciously.

"I swear Cato, if it's full of money I'll-"

"Just open it." Cato cut Clove off, rolling his eyes. Clove pulled another bag out of the brown bag and took out the contents. The once black wellies that Cato had bought for Clove had been painted by Peeta. Clove's name was written in white above the Oregon Ducks mascot on each boot.

"The paint's waterproof, so it won't come off." Cato informed her as Clove pulled off her shoes to try the new wellies on.

"How did you know my shoe size?" Clove asked, surprised that Cato actually had enough brain cells to buy her a present she actually liked.

"I have my ways. Do you like them?" Cato asked hopefully.

"I…I actually love them. I needed a new pair." Clove blushed. Cato breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, I was hoping you would. Need any help with the lamb?" He asked, grinning.

"Yes, actually." Clove said. She told Cato to hold onto the lamb whilst she readied a vaccine injection. Clove listened to Cato soothing the lamb as she inserted the injection, and marvelled at hoe gentle he was being considering how large he was. Clove smiled as she put the empty injection in a bag to throw away. When Cato saw the smile, his heart fluttered again. He shook his head slightly, and tried to fool himself into thinking that he wasn't falling for Clove Burrows.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

_I think about you all the time_

_One look my knees get weak practically die_

_So hard to sleep when I'm so close to this dream coming true_

_True true_

_How do I tell, tell you_

_When_

_I can't speak_

_I'm terrified cause if I_

_Say the wrong thing_

_You might see how hard I'm trying_

Finnick, Marvel and Effie applauded as Cato put his guitar to one side.

"That was wonderful, sweetie!" Effie squealed, clapping her gloved hands.

"I'm still working on it, that's just the first verse." Cato admitted. "I'm working on some other stuff too."

"I guess this trip wasn't for nothing after all." Marvel grinned. He still had bandaging covering his nose.

"You can say that again. I can sense another platinum edition album coming." Finnick said, also sporting a grin.

"Oh, he's found his inspiration alright." Peeta said from the other side of the room, where he was leaning against the wall.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cato asked, standing up. Peeta inched closer to him.

"I see the way you look at her. She has a boyfriend, man." The shorter boy said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cato lied.

"I don't want you fucking over Katniss' sister." Peeta said. By now, they were centimetres from each other.

"You really think I'm going to fuck her over?" Cato asked, tensing.

"Well, you fucked over Kylee. You broke Amy's heart. And Jenny's. You don't exactly have a good history when it comes to girls, Cato." Peeta scowled.

"Clove's different."

"Clove's _taken_."

I haven't known her long, but it's been enough time to know that I don't want to hurt her." Cato frowned.

"We'll see." Peeta said, before turning on his heel and walking out of the guest room.

-Line Break-

Clove sighed heavily after hauling herself into the tractor.

"What's up, chicky?" Johanna asked, starting the engine.

"It's nothing." Clove said.

"If there's one thing I've learnt over the years, it's that it's never 'nothing' with you. So, spill little sister." Johanna said, raising an eyebrow but keeping her eyes on the dusty track.

"I'm not that much younger than you." Clove mumbled.

"I'm older than you and we share the same father. That makes you my 'little sister'." Johanna grinned.

"Cato remembered my birthday. He get me a really thoughtful present." Clove admitted.

"I don't see the problem."

"He's famous. I'm supposed to even want to breathe the same air as him, yet I find myself thinking he's not so bad." Clove said, sighing again.

"Not every famous guy turns out like our dad did, Clove." Johanna said.

"That reminds me. Why are you here? I mean, I love having you here…But I haven't seen you in years and it won't exactly be easy for you." Clove asked.

"I've been living with dad for four years now ever since my mother died, and I can't put up with his shit anymore. He's never home, I have to cook my own meals every single night and most days we didn't even speak. I'm telling you Clove, you were lucky to get away from him so young. Why does your mom even keep his surname anyway? I sure as hell didn't." Johanna said. At the age of thirteen, Johanna had decided to take her mother's maiden name 'Mason'. Clove, however, had kept their father's surname 'Burrows'.

"I think she kept in case he ever wanted to contact me. Like that's ever going to happen." Clove scoffed. They drove in silence for a few more minutes until Clove said,

"So are you going to be living here permanently?"

"No. Just for a few months, until I find a job and a place to live. I won't be far away though." Johanna said. She turned the tractor engine off and they climbed out. Both girls looked up the old brown barn. It was the smaller one of the two barns and it hadn't been used since Lyme, one of the farmhands, and Paylor's idea to breed peacocks had failed horribly.

"So we're gonna fix this thing up?" Clove asked doubtfully.

"Yeah. I figured that I could sleep here, seeing as your family hates me." Johanna smirked.

"They don't hate you." Clove said in an attempt to reassure her.

"I'm not one of them, Clove. I'm not one of _you_. You're like your mother whereas I'm like our father. I'm reckless and wild and I'm not related to them. I'm just a cruel reminder to them that Nick wasn't Mandy's first husband and that she has two kids with another man and just one with him." Johanna explained.

"Oh." Clove said, at a loss for what to say.

"I'll be inside fixing cables and stuff and you can paint it any colour you want." Johanna grinned before heading inside.

"Oh, and Clove?" She called from inside the barn. "Blight's coming over, just send him in here."

"Okay!" Clove responded. She surveyed the barn, groaning internally. It would take her days to paint the whole thing. She pulled her vibrating phone out of her pocket. She had an incoming call from and unknown number.

"Who is this?" She asked, getting straight to the point.

"The best guy on the planet."

"Go away, Cato." Clove sighed.

"I wonder how you knew it was me." Cato said, and Clove could hear the grin in his voice.

"If you're going to insist on bothering me, come down to the second barn and help me paint this damn thing." Clove said before cutting the call.

"She's inside." Clove said without even turning around.

"Thanks." Johanna's boyfriend, Blight, mumbled as he scurried past Clove into the barn.

…

Cato figured that if Clove was asking for his help, he should probably do it right and not drop her in mud this time. However, if he was going to be stuck painting barns just to keep her happy, he wanted to have a little fun with it. So when Peeta wasn't around, Cato snuck into his room and took the paint guns and paint balls from his closet. He walked quickly to the barn, spotting Clove painting from a few metres away.

"Hey there, Farmer Girl." Cato grinned.

"Whatever Pretty Boy, just get to painting." Clove sighed. She saw the guns in Cato's hands and held her hands up in mock surrender.

"Don't shoot."

"They're for the barn." Cato said, rolling his eyes. Clove had already started painting the barn blue, so Cato inserted only the blue paintballs into the guns. He handed one to Clove.

"Know how to shoot?" He asked. Clove raised an eyebrow and fired at the barn without turning away from Cato. It hit a beam just above the door, exactly where she had been aiming.

"Duh."

"Okay then, Clo. Let's get to work." Cato said, smirking when he saw her roll her eyes at the nickname.

"Yeah. Let's work." Clove said, shooting Cato in the stomach.

"Shouldn't have done that, Farmer Girl." Cato grinned, firing at her upper thigh. Clove responded by shooting him in the chest, and Cato hit her stomach.

"It's on, Pretty Boy." Clove smiled wickedly before diving for cover to avoid the flying paintballs. A few hours later, they emerged from their cover spaces looking like Smurfs.

"Sorry we didn't get the barn painted." Cato said, falling into step next to Clove as they made their way back to the farmhouse.

"It's okay. Darius and I can finish it tomorrow." Clove said, pushing open the door and pulling off her now blue trainers.

"Right, of course. Darius." Cato mumbled. He didn't understand why he liked Clove as much as he did, he had only met her a few weeks ago and she could only just tolerate him. Clove walked towards the living room, but Cato went for the stairs.

"Where are you going? Everyone's in the living room, it's late." Clove asked.

"Upstairs. Just got some stuff I've got to write down." Cato said, rushing up the stairs to avoid further conversation. He went into his room and pulled out his song book and pen from underneath his pillow. He thought for a few seconds before scribbling down the beginnings of a new song.

_You're way too beautiful girl_

_That's why it'll never work_

_You'll have me suicidal, suicidal_

_When you say it's over_

_Damn all these beautiful girls_

_They only wanna do your dirt_

_They'll have you suicidal, suicidal_

_When they say it's over_

It wasn't much yet, but Cato got the sinking feeling that in time, he would get all the inspiration he needed for a heartbreak song.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for all the reviews, they make me happy. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

"Well, fuck you too!" Clove screamed into her phone, before slamming it down on the kitchen floor. She pulled herself on to the counter and rested her head in her hands.

"Ouch. You okay, Farmer Girl?" Cato asked. He was rummaging around in a cupboard. He pulled out a box of Lucky Charms and started eating out of the box.

"It's eight o'clock at night and you're eating Lucky Charms?" Clove asked.

"I don't control the craving. The craving controls _me_."

"That sounds like something a pregnant woman would say."

"You never answered my question." Cato picked up Clove's phone and sat himself next to her. There was a thin crack running down the left side of her phone, but it was still useable.

"Shit. Mom's gonna kill me." Clove muttered.

"I'll buy you another." Cato offered. Clove glared and him and elbowed him in the ribs.

"No!" She hissed. "I don't want you spending money on me."

"Okay, okay! No need to get violent, Clo." Cato frowned.

"Well, you would too if your boyfriend had just cancelled on you three minutes before he's meant to pick you up!" Clove scowled.

"I don't have a boyfriend, Clove." Cato smirked. Clove shot him and icy glare. "Okay, not funny. Explain everything."

"Well, Darius and I made plans last week after we were done painting the barn. We're supposed to be going into the city tonight. The jerk just cancelled on me, and I'd been looking forward to it for the last few days." Clove frowned.

"I could take you. I'm not some wonder boyfriend of yours, but I _do _know how to have a good time." Cato grinned. Clove's frown turned into a smile and she nodded.

"That would be good."

"Okay. I'll go get my jacket, meet me by the door."

…

Clove pushed the front door open, stepped outside and was greeted by the flashes of cameras. Cato stepped out behind her and immediately pulled his grey hood up.

"Cato!" One reporter yelled.

"Cato, over here!"

"Cato Woods!"

"So, this is where you've been hiding out for the past few weeks?" The reporters were all shouting to get Cato's attention, and Clove felt a little overwhelmed. They were taking pictures of her as well, so she held her hand up to cover her eyes. Cato wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her through the crowd.

"Cato, is she your new fuck buddy?" One woman asked. Clove spun around and punched the woman square in the jaw.

"I have more respect for myself than that." She snapped. Cato unlocked his Ferrari and opened the door for Clove.

"We're just friends." Cato confirmed before jogging round to the driver's side and climbing in. The Ferrari had only arrived a few days ago, but Cato still remembered the dark sunglasses in the pocket on the door. He slipped them into his pocket for later, started the engine and sped away from the flashing cameras and the yelling reporters.

"I know they're irritating, but you can't go around punching press representatives." Cato said, pulling his hood down again.

"She was making assumptions that weren't true. My life would have been ruined if people thought I was with you!" Clove responded.

"Oh, come on. Would it really be that bad to be my fuck buddy?" Cato joked.

"Yes." Clove glared at him. "You've been with so many girls that you probably have all sorts of STD's."

"Clove, I've only been with four girls in my whole life. Reporters twist everything." Cato sighed.

"Sorry." Clove mumbled. They rode in silence for a few minutes before Clove spoke up again.

"This is a nice car." She said. A grin broke out on Cato's face.

"Well, I would hope so. She cost me enough."

"'She'?" Clove smirked.

"Yeah. She's my baby and I will love her forever." Cato said. Clove laughed, and Cato smile grew wider knowing that he had caused it.

"The most expensive car I've ridden in is Gale's old land rover." Clove admitted.

"Well, I guess you can cross 'Ride in a Ferrari with Cato Woods' off of your bucket list." He grinned.

"I think originally it would have said 'Shove Cato Woods' head in a toilet'." Clove said thoughtfully.

"Originally?"

"Well, now it would probably say 'Tolerate Cato for more than an hour."

"Well, I guess we'll see if you can tolerate me when I do _this_." Cato stepped on the gas, and Clove watched the numbers on the speed monitor shoot up.

"Woo!" She yelled, laughing. After a few seconds, they went back to normal speed.

"Is that tolerable?" Cato asked, grinning.

"I guess so."

…

"So, now what do we do?" Clove asked Cato as they walked along, following the river. They already eaten in McDonalds (Cato had the happy meal toy to prove it), gone into a nightclub for a half hour until they got kicked out squirting each other with the beer taps, brought and changed into dry clothes and Clove had allowed Cato to buy her one present- a chocolate bear. She had, of course, already eaten it.

"Now…We go to the fair!" Cato's eyes lit up when he saw the fair lights in the distance. He grabbed Clove's hand and they ran down the street.

"This is one hot fair." Clove grinned when they arrived.

"I think we should go on the Ferris wheel." Cato said. Clove froze.

"Um, no." She said.

"Why not?" Cato frowned.

"I…Um…"

"You're scared of heights, aren't you?"

"No!" Clove yelled, but she was blushing.

"It's really not gonna be that bad up there, I promise." Cato said sincerely.

"You'll laugh at me." Clove mumbled.

"I won't, I promise. But we don't have to go if you don't want too." Cato said.

"Thanks." Clove smiled weakly. "Let's go do something else."

"Okay. I bet you're a natural at hook a duck." Cato grinned, before pulling her by the hand towards the bright blue hook a duck stand. Clove won a small brown teddy bear, and Cato won a pink toy pig.

"Here, you can have it." Cato said, handing the toy to Clove.

"Thanks." She laughed.

"What are you going to call it?" He asked as the joined the queue for candyfloss.

"Excuse me?" Clove asked, pulling out her money. They both bought sticks of candy floss and sat down opposite each other at a picnic bench.

"It has to have a name, Clove." Cato sighed. "It's like you never had a child hood."

"Hey! I had a great child hood from the age of six upwards." Clove protested. Cato decided that if he asked personal questions, Clove could shut him out again and go back to hating him. So instead of prying into her personal life, he asked a different question.

"You grew up around guns and chickens, didn't you?"

"For most of my childhood, yes." Clove answered carefully.

"Oh." Cato said, at a loss for what to say.

"Have you ever heard of Allan Burrows?" Clove asked.

"_Yes_. He's one of the biggest directors in America! It's kind of my dream to work with him." Cato grinned.

"Well, he's my dad. And if you don't fuck up, I'll tell you what happened one day."


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

"Care to explain _this_?" Mandy Burrows walked into the dining room, dropping a stack of three magazines in front of Clove. Clove picked up the first one.

"Cato Woods 'just friends' with local slapper." She read aloud. The picture on the front was of Cato with his arm round her as he led her to his car. "_Local slapper_?! What the fuck?!"

"Language." Mandy warned her. Clove picked up the next one.

"Cato Woods' new 'friend' needs to lay off the punch." Clove read. This time, the picture was of her punching the reporter.

"The last one's my favourite." Many frowned sarcastically.

"A madhouse girlfriend for Cato Woods." This time, the image was off her shielding her face from the flashes of the cameras.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Clove." Nick said disapprovingly.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" Clove protested.

"So you _didn't _punch a reporter?" Mandy asked.

"Well…Yes, but…Cato and I aren't dating!" Clove yelled.

"It's true, we're not." Cato added from the other side of the table. The doorbell rang, and Clove jumped out of her seat.

"I'll get it." She said, before running out of the room to avoid further conversation.

"Why didn't you _tell _me you were dating Cato?!" Glimmer squealed when Clove opened the door.

"I didn't tell you because it isn't true! I'm still with Darius." Clove scowled.

"Oh, well he seemed pretty pissed off when he saw the newspaper this morning." Glimmer said, handing Clove the newspaper she had been holding.

"Anger management recommended for Woods' new girlfriend." She read aloud. "For God's sake! You punch one reporter and this is what you get?"

"Hey, _I _think it sounded pretty awesome. Is Marvel in?" Glimmer asked hopefully.

"Yes…Why?"

"I'm hoping that if I hang around your house looking pretty for long enough, he'll ask me out."

"Why him? Why not Cato?" Clove asked.

"Alas, a life of fame is not for me." Glimmer sighed dramatically. "But I think it would be great for you."

"I have a boyfriend, and his name isn't Cato. Remember?" Clove narrowed her eyes and Glimmer.

"I'm serious, Clove. You guys would be so cute together." She grinned.

"Stop it. You're making me want to gag." Clove frowned.

"Oh, hush up and take me to Marvel."

…

"I can't do this!" Effie yelled as she barged into the living room. Haymitch, Finnick, Annie and Jackie looked at her, awaiting an explanation.

"I can't even get to the car, the yard is so full of reporters!" She explained.

"It's hardly a yard, Effie. It's just dust." Jackie said.

"They just need to go!"

"I'll deal with it." Haymitch sighed, pulling himself off of the couch. "Anything to shut you up."

"Manners!" Effie scolded. Haymitch retrieved his shotgun from underneath the staircase and stepped onto the porch. The reporters immediately started taking pictures from the dust yard.

"Get the hell off of my land!" Haymitch yelled, firing three shots into the air. The reporters made various noises, scrambled to their cars and drove away.

"They'll be back, but thank you anyway." Effie said, smiling an orange lipstick smile before trotting off in her heels to get to her car.

…

"So, Annie." Finnick said seductively, causing Annie to blush. They were picking oranges from the trees next to the apple orchard.

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"O-okay…"

"Your surname is Cresta, but your father's is Abernathy. How come?" Finnick asked.

"Cresta was my mother's surname. They never married, and she died two years ago so I took her name. It makes me feel closer to her." Annie answered.

"Sorry, I didn't know…" Finnick trailed off, embarrassed.

"It's okay. What you have to understand is that this family is confusing. There's Johanna, whose only relative here is Clove. Then there's Clove herself who's had the hardest life of all of us. She was taken from her father when she was six and brought here. She got on fine with Mandy for years, and nobody knows what happened but now they just don't get on as well. Clove's never liked Nick, her stepdad, and she was kind of shocked when she arrived here to find that she had a half-sister. Nick had an affair twelve years ago, resulting in Prim. They only found out about her when she was ten. Mandy took her in, but it's all gotten too much for Clove. She gets on well with her sisters, but she's closest to Johanna. Out of everyone, she knows what Clove's going through. They have the same terrible father." Annie explained, picking three more oranges.

"So…That's why there are so many different surnames in your family?" Finnick asked carefully.

"Yes. There's Burrows- Mandy and Clove, Mason- Johanna, Everdeen- Nick, Katniss and Prim, Abernathy- my dad, Cresta- me and Emerson- Paylor and Jackie." Annie said. "But please don't tell Clove you know. She's incredibly guarded and she doesn't open up easily. That's why we were all surprised when she made friends with Cato."

"Do you think she'll ever tell him?"

"I don't know, Finn."

"I have another question." Finnick smiled.

"What?" Annie asked.

"Will you let me take you out tonight?"

"Of course."

…

"So, what task do you have for me today?" Peeta asked Katniss. He followed her into the kitchen and she pointed at the breadbin.

"It's empty. We need to buy some more." She explained.

"Why don't we just make some?"

"Because I'm the world's worst baker?" Katniss offered. "Or because I have no idea how?"

"Today's your lucky day, Katniss. My family run a bakery. _I _will show you how to make bread." Peeta grinned. He searched around the kitchen until he found everything that they needed.

"First, you do this." Peeta said. He showed her what to do, and step by step, they made loafs of bread.

"Thanks, Peeta." Katniss smiled shyly once they were done.

"That's okay." He smiled. He opened up the flour bag, dabbed his finger in it and then wiped it over Katniss' cheek.

"There. Now you look like a baker." He grinned. Katniss shoved her hand in the bag and threw a handful at Peeta, speckling his cheeks and forehead with flour.

"There." She laughed. "Now you do, too."


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry that this chapter's a little shorter, I don't own The Hunger Games or any song used. :)**

Cato glanced uneasily around the dinner table. Everybody was sat in silence, eating their food and keeping themselves to their selves. Eventually, Mandy had enough.

"Can somebody please go and fetch Clove from her room?" She sighed.

"I'll go." Cato said before anyone else had the chance to respond. He dropped his fork and walked out of the room. He climbed the stairs and then the ladder to her bedroom.

"Clove?" Cato knocked on trapdoor style entrance. When he got no response, he tested it to see if it was open. It was, so he gently pushed it up and entered her room. When he saw that she wasn't there, he went to turn around but noticed a notebook on her bed. Curiosity got the better of him, and sat down and opened it to the first page.

_Oh, you can't hear me cry_

_See my dreams all die_

_From where you're standing _

_On your own_

_It's so quiet here and I feel so cold_

_This house no longer_

_Feels like home_

Cato blinked a few times when he realised that they were song lyrics. _They're really good. _He thought to himself, reading the rest of the song. He flicked through the notebook to the most recently written on page.

_Can I tell you a secret?_

_You promise that you'll keep it?_

_Cross your heart, not a soul_

_There's so much that you don't know_

_I'm about to break_

He didn't have time to read any further, because Clove burst into the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She yelled, flushing bright red when she saw the open notebook in his hand.

"I-"

"Whatever. Just get out!" She snatched the book from his hands and pulled him off of her bed, shoving him towards the exit.

"Sorry." He mumbled as he climbed down the ladder, pulling the door shut behind him. Clove threw the book on the ground and sat down in her chair. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life. Her lyrics were personal.

…

"Smooth move, Cato." Marvel laughed when Cato told him what had happened.

"Shut up." He muttered, rubbing his eyes. He had been finding it hard to get sleep due to the amount of noise the animals made.

"Well, you're an idiot. _Never _read a girl's notebook." Marvel smirked at him.

"She's written some great stuff. She should really get into the industry." Cato said absentmindedly.

"She's going to be a farmer until she can't walk anymore. That's what her mother and Nick are gonna do, so that's probably what she'll end up doing." Marvel said.

"Maybe…" Cato trailed off. Marvel didn't know that Clove had the arts in her blood. Her father was one of the most famous directors in America and Cato had heard of his sister, Clove's aunt, the actress.

"Have you told Peeta? I'm sure he'd find it amusing." Marvel asked.

"I haven't spoken to Peeta since he told me to stay away from Clove." Cato frowned, sitting down on the chair in the corner of Marvel's room.

"Well, you should."

"Why?"

"Because he's your best friend." Marvel pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I have to speak to him. He presumed I would mess Clove around. Anyway, who gave you the right to tell me what to do?" Cato snapped.

"Uh, you. When you hired me. _I _told you to wear that shirt. _I _told you to wear those jeans. So, yeah. I tell you what to do." Marvel said, folding his arms.

"Whatever, Marvel. I have to go find Clove."

This time, Cato didn't barge into her room uninvited. He knocked.

"It's open." Clove called. He pushed the door open and climbed into her room.

"Oh." She said flatly. "It's you."

"I'm sorry. I came upstairs because your mother wanted you for dinner and I figured I could apologise for the, um, inappropriate headlines. I didn't get an answer when I knocked, so went in because I thought you might be ignoring everyone. I saw the notebook and…Yeah." Cato trailed off, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay. I overreacted. It's just…My family don't know I write songs. Hell, the only people that know I play the guitar are Glimmer and Katniss." Clove admitted, also feeling slightly awkward.

"You play the guitar?"

"That's kind of what I just said. But my lyrics are about things that have happened and how I've felt…I wasn't planning on showing anyone any time soon."

"For what it's worth, I thought they were amazing." Cato said.

"You would know, right? Being famous and all." Clove smiled weakly. Cato glanced around her room, his eyes resting on the guitar propped up against the wall. He picked it up and walked back over to Clove.

"Sing with me." He said, but it sounded more like a question.

"I don't really sing in front of people." Clove said.

"Come on. You don't seem like the kind of person to back away from a challenge." Cato grinned.

"Fine. But I'm picking the song." She said. She thought for a few seconds before saying, "Paramore. The only exception."

"Great choice." Cato smiled. He fiddled around for a few minutes, tuning the guitar.

"It's my favourite song." Clove grinned.

"It was one of the first songs I learnt to play." Cato told her. They sat down on Clove's bed and he started strumming the guitar.

Cato: _When I was younger I saw my daddy_

_Cry and curse at the wind._

_He broke his own heart and_

_I watched as he tried to re-assemble it._

_And my mamma swore she would_

_Never let herself forget._

_And that was the day that I promised_

_I'd never sing of love if does not exist._

_But darling…_

Clove: _You are the only exception_

Cato: _You are the only exception_

Clove: _You are the only exception_

Cato: _You are the only exception_

Clove:_ Maybe I know somewhere deep in_

_My soul that love never lasts._

_And we've got to find other ways_

_To make it alone or keep a straight face._

_And I've always lived like this_

_Keeping a comfortable, distance._

_And up until now I swore to myself_

_That I'm content with loneliness,_

_'cause none of it was ever worth the risk._

Cato: _But you are the only exception_

Clove: _But you are the only exception_

Cato: _But you are the only exception_

Clove: _But you are the only exception_

Cato: _I've got a tight grip on reality,_

_But I can't let go of what's part of me here._

_I know you're leaving in the morning, when you wake up,_

_Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream._

Clove:_ Whooa…_

Cato:_ You are the only exception _

Clove:_ You are the only exception_

Cato:_ You are the only exception_

Clove:_ You are the only exception_

Cato:_ You are the only exception_

Clove:_ You are the only exception_

Cato:_ You are the only exception_

Clove:_ You are the only exception_

Cato: _And I'm on my way to believing_

Clove: _And I'm on my way to believing._

Cato set the guitar to the side, his eyes not leaving Clove's. They both leaned forwards until their lips met in the middle. Cato wrapped his arms around Clove's waist and pulled her closer. Clove wrapped her own arms around Cato's neck, tangling her fingers in his blonde hair. They were too caught up in the moment to notice the trapdoor opening, and they didn't see the head pop up through the gap. In fact, they only noticed they were not alone when the intruder spoke.

"Clove?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the 60+ reviews :) I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

Clove roughly pushed Cato away.

"Oh my God. Jackie!" She gasped.

"You…I never had you pegged as a cheater, Clove." Jackie said, wide-eyed.

"Please don't tell Darius!" Clove pleaded, her eyes equally as wide. Jackie jumped from the ladder and Clove heard her footsteps thundering down the corridor.

"Shit." Clove muttered, before leaping off of the bed and jumping from her room. She landed on her feet and only stumbled a little before chasing after Jackie, leaving Cato stunned in her room.

"Jackie Emerson if you don't stop right now I'm going to beat the crap out of you!" Clove yelled, chasing her cousin down the dust road towards Darius' house.

"You'll have to catch me!" Jackie yelled back.

"Fuck you!" Clove shouted in frustration. Jackie was one of the fastest girls in the state, her only rivals being Katniss and Gale. She trailed behind by two metres, and Jackie shot up the driveway to Darius' house. She knocked rapidly and Glimmer pulled the door open. Jackie barged past her, Clove hot on her heels.

"Darius!" Jackie screamed. He came thundering down the stairs.

"Jackie? Clove? What's up?" He asked, looking at Clove with concern. She couldn't meet his eyes.

"Clove's my cousin." Jackie said, taking a deep breath. "And I love her like a sister. But it's in everyone's best interest for you to know this."

"Oh my God, you're pregnant. Aren't you?" Darius asked, looking horrified.

"Unless the baby's the messiah and I'm the virgin mother, _no_." Clove snapped.

"Clove cheated on you." Jackie blurted. "I walked in on her making out with Cato."

"I wasn't making out with him! It…It was a spur of the moment thing. I'm sorry. I want to fix things." Clove said, watching Darius' face for any sign of emotion.

"You went all starry eyed for some drool-lipped city guy?"

"That's not what happened!"

"You know how much I hate city folk. I thought you hated them too. We're done. You cheated on me with one of _them_." Darius said firmly.

"No, I-"

"Don't make excuses for what you've done." Darius said, sounding betrayed.

"But..."

"Come on, Clove." Glimmer said softly from the doorway. "I'll walk you home."

…

Clove burst into her room, and Cato shot to his feet.

"You." She hissed, her eyes practically blazing with anger. "I hate you! You've ruined _everything_!"

"Whoa there Clove, calm down and we can talk about this." Cato said, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"Calm down? _Calm down_?! No! You've ruined it all! Darius was the first guy to ask me out ever since I was fifteen, and now you've wrecked everything!" She yelled, punching Cato in the chest. He caught her fist and uncurled her fingers.

"We can sort this. You can talk to him." Cato said, like it was that simple.

"You don't think I've tried that? He hates me! _And I hate you_!" She wrenched her hand out Cato's grip.

"Oh, come on. Kissing me can't have been _that _bad." Cato smirked.

"Maybe it wouldn't have been if you weren't such an asshole! Or a jerk! Or an all-around fuckwit!" Clove punched Cato hard in the shoulder after saying each insult.

"Why don't you just admit that you like me?!" Cato asked.

"Because I _don't_! I hate you!" Clove screamed.

"If you hate me so much, why did you sing with me? Why did you let me kiss you?" Cato yelled.

"I-"

"No, Clove. You led me on today. You led me on that day in the city. Of all the people on the planet, why did I have to fall for _you_?!" Cato shouted, climbing down the ladder from Clove's room before she had the chance to answer. He burst into his room, almost ripping the door from its hinges in the process. He grabbed his own song book and pen from underneath his pillow and started furiously writing down lyrics.

_In the night I hear them talk_

_The coldest story ever known_

_Somewhere far along this road_

_He lost his soul_

_To a woman so heartless_

_How could you be so heartless?_

_Oh, how could you be so heartless?_

…

Katniss Everdeen had always been the kind of girl that kept herself to herself. She confided in only a few people; her mother, Prim, Katniss, Jackie and Annie. So when Peeta Mellark asked her on a date, his eyes silently screaming for her to let him in, she had no idea what to do.

"It'll be fun." He had promised. "We can go with Annie and Finn to the city."

So she had decided to trust him. She decided that he wouldn't break her heart like Gloss from her school had last year. She decided that the city boy would be worth it. That was how Katniss Everdeen found herself in McDonalds for the first time ever, sat next to Annie and across from Peeta.

"I can't believe you've never been here before." Finnick said, taking a slurp from his chocolate milkshake.

"It's like you had no childhood." Peeta added. Katniss frowned at him, wondering why he would ask her on a date only to insult her.

"He's just messing around." Annie reassured her, noticing Katniss frown.

"Well, in that case." She said. "You had better go order me a Happy Meal, Peeta."

"Now, that's hours of fun in a box." Finnick grinned, gripping Annie's hand over the table. Peeta excused himself and approached the counter to order Katniss' Happy Meal.

"I thought you weren't hungry." Annie smiled.

"If this place is as good as you say it is, I want to try something." Katniss said logically.

"Fresh blood." Finnick snickered. Peeta returned with the Happy Meal and set it in front of Katniss.

"This will change your life forever." Peeta said seriously.

"Yeah. Diabetes does that to people." Katniss muttered.

"We'll just make sure you don't eat too many." Annie giggled. "Now try it."

"Okay…" Katniss took out the small cardboard container of chicken nuggets and carefully sniffed one before popping it into her mouth. Her eyes widened and she popped some fries into her mouth, washing them down with her strawberry milkshake.

"Good, right?" Finnick asked.

"Good? More like heaven in a box!" Katniss yelped, popping another chicken nugget into her mouth after grinning at Peeta.

**If you're looking to read more Clato fics, I recommend Inferno: A tale of Rebellion by Iklessquilles. It's kind of AU, it's about the rebellion and Cato and Clove are both Victors from separate Games. I started reading it today and it's amazing, so check it out. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own The Hunger Games, and thank you for the amazing reviews. :)**

"It was just…Incredible." Katniss sighed contently, leaning back on her bed.

"You sound pretty pleased." Clove smirked, settling down next to Annie on the couch in Katniss' bedroom. Clove's half-sister had never been one to go on about anything good, especially a boy, but she had been talking about Peeta Mellark for the past twenty minutes.

"She has a right to be." Annie grinned.

"Well, yeah. How is it possible to like someone who's the complete opposite of you?" Katniss wondered aloud.

"People that are your opposite fuck you over. Every single time." Clove snorted.

"This is about you and Cato isn't it?" Katniss asked, rolling over to face Clove with one eyebrow raised.

"There is no 'me and Cato'. Don't be stupid, Katniss." Clove laughed humourlessly

"There might not be, but there _should _be." Katniss said.

"You're starting to sound like Glimmer."

"Please don't say that. I hope that girl gets stung to death by bees."

"Okay, whatever." Clove smiled. Katniss and Glimmer had never exactly gotten along. Katniss thought her to be the typical blonde bimbo, and Glimmer thought Katniss was unsociable and 'up herself'.

"Subject change. Nice." Katniss muttered.

"Back me up here, Annie." Clove groaned.

"Sorry, Clove. I agree with Katniss, you should at least give him a chance." Annie said, flicking through a magazine.

"Why should I? He just mess everything up." Clove grumbled.

"I think he cares about you. Besides, that whole Darius thing was a week ago. He must have cooled down at least a little by now." Katniss said logically.

"I _know _he's cooled down. He's bought me, like, four bouquets of flower. Anyway, if he cared he would have left as soon as the press showed up on the doorstep." Clove sighed.

"Was he a ten?" Annie asked.

"What?"

"Was he a good kisser? Out of ten?" Annie asked, closing the magazine and placing it to the side.

"I don't have to answer that." Clove frowned.

"Answer and I'll let you come shopping with us." Annie smiled, attempting to bribe Clove.

"He's not gonna be there, is he?" Clove asked doubtfully.

"It's me, Annie, Peeta, Finnick, Jackie, Marvel and Thresh, Jackie's boyfriend. Oh, and Glimmer. Marvel invited her." Katniss said, scowling at the last part.

"Hmm…" Clove tapped her chin.

"It'll be fun." Annie promised.

"Fine then. He was a solid nine." Clove said, before leaving the room to avoid Katniss' smirk and Annie's grin.

…

Cato only had to knock once before Peeta opened the door.

"Well." He said, leaning against the doorframe. "Looks like I was right."

"Shut up. You're always right." Cato grumbled.

"Yeah, it comes in the job description."

"Job description?"

"Yeah. The asshole's best friend _always _has to be right." Peeta grinned.

"Oh, shut up." Cato frowned at him. "I know I'm an ass."

"What do you think would make _her _happy and not just you?" Peeta asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Who?"

"The queen of England." Peeta rolled his eyes. "_Clove_."

"Oh. Well…She was happy with Darius." Cato sighed.

"And if she's happy you're happy, right?"

"I wish that were the case. I'll go talk to him anyway.

When Darius opened the door, he swung at Cato. Ducking, he narrowly missed the punch.

"Not cool, dude. I thought you were like a hippie. You know, peaceful." Cato frowned.

"Well, not all farmhands act as peacekeepers. What are you doing here, Woods? Come to rub in my face that you made out with my girlfriend?" Darius asked, narrowing his eyes at Cato. _This guy is so dramatic. I thought _I _was the actor. _Cato thought to himself.

"Firstly, we didn't 'make out'. We kissed for, like, five seconds." Cato rolled his eyes.

"That's five seconds too long." Darius scowled.

"Secondly, I came to ask you to give her another chance." Cato sighed. Darius looked at him suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Believe me when I say I want nothing more than to be with her. But I'm an ass, she doesn't want that. She wants _you_. I kissed her. _I _made the move, I'm an idiot. All she wants is you, so give her another chance?" Cato asked hopefully.

"No. Bitch needs to learn a lesson." Darius said. Cato grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off of his feet slightly.

"Say it again. I dare you." He hissed, but Darius stayed silent. "She cares about you, and I think we both know that Clove doesn't care very often."

"It's a pride thing. I gave her everything and she threw it back in my face. I'm not gonna take her back, so I think you should just leave." Darius said. Cato glared at him for a few seconds before responding.

"Fine." He dropped Darius' collar. "But if you're not going to fight for her, _I _will."

…

"Come shopping, they said." Clove grumbled. "It'll be fun, they said."

"Oh, stop moaning." Glimmer slapped Clove lightly on the arm.

"I was _fine _until you dragged me to a Cato Woods shop!" Clove shot back. She didn't even know there _was _a shop in this city dedicated to him. _Why would anyone want to run a shop dedicated to that moron? _Clove had thought to herself as she was shoved through the door by Annie. The shop was filled with his CD's, DVD's, shirts with his face on, work from his previous co-stars and all sorts of merchandise that Clove would never be caught dead with. Glimmer was in heaven, running her hands over all of the different items.

"This is stupid." Clove sighed, poking a jumper with the title of his first album stitched on the front.

"You're just in a bad mood." Glimmer grinned.

"Hmm. I wonder why?" Clove snapped sarcastically.

"Clove?" Clove turned around at the sound of an all too familiar voice.

"What the hell are you doing here, Woods?" She hissed when she saw Cato.

"Finn arranged a signing here. It starts in four hours; I came early to avoid the mobs." He said.

"Ass." Clove muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I'm, um, performing a song I've written recently. Are you gonna come back and listen to it?" Cato asked nervously.

"No!" Clove yelled. "I hate you!" She ran out of the shop, away from Cato. She was mentally slapping herself, because she could feel herself forgiving Cato. She could feel herself falling for him the moment she looked into his nervous eyes.

"Well, that could have gone better." Cato muttered, back at the shop.

"We _need _her to hear that song, guys." Glimmer sighed.

"I have an idea." Jackie grinned, before whispering something in a doubtful Cato's ear.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for the reviews, and I don't own The Hunger Games or the song used. :) I'm sorry, but I _had _to make Cato**** sing a Taylor Swift song somewhere.**

Jackie Emerson had always been a smart girl. She didn't day much, so she could not be held to any event. She had a few loyal friends to avoid drama. She chose the biggest guy on the school football team as her boyfriend so that nobody would mess with her. She could name any edible plant in the woods surrounding the farm. And if anyone _ever _needed something done, they knew they could come to her with their idea. From then, she would make an elaborate plan and they never failed. Ever. So when Jackie got an idea, people listened. As much as Cato hated her plan, he knew that it would be in his best interest to go along with it.

"Are you sure about this?" Cato asked nervously.

"I'm sure about _all _of my plans." Jackie frowned, handing him his guitar and shoving Cato into the barn.

"Warm up or something." She said, running off with Annie and Katniss to find Clove. Annie found her picking blackberries in the woods.

"What do you want?" She asked warily. She hadn't spoken to any of the other teenagers since she ran out of the shop yesterday.

"Let's play tag!" Annie yelled, tagging Clove before running off.

"You're over twenty, you shouldn't be playing tag!" Clove shouted, but she dropped her bucket and ran after her anyway. Katniss stepped out from behind a tree as Annie disappeared further into the depths of the woods.

"Oh no! She is going to tag me!" Katniss yelled in a bad acting voice. Clove barrelled towards Katniss, but before she could reach her she was knocked down by a flash of red.

"Ow!" Clove yelled, her ankle twisting on the even ground as she was tackled over. "Jackie! What's wrong with you?!"

"Uh-oh! There are medical supplies in the barn; we'll get you a plaster!" Jackie said, standing up and offering Clove a hand up.

"A plaster! I can't fucking stand up!" Clove yelled. Jackie bit her lip awkwardly. The plan had been to knock Clove over and graze her so she needed a plaster, not twist her ankle.

"Um, well…There are crutches in the barn. We'll help you walk there." She said.

"Yeah. You had better." Clove snapped as Katniss helped her up.

…

Johanna Mason was panicking, something she never did. When her boyfriend Blight walked through the newly renovated barn door, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and growled at him.

"I'm freaking out!" She yelled.

"Easy, easy." He said, detaching her hands from his collar. "What's up?"

"This is so fucking ridiculous! I hate my life! Why did this have to happen?! Argghhh!" Johanna screamed. Blight let her rant and scream before asking,

"What's up?"

"You've knocked me up!" Johanna yelled, going for Blight's throat. He ducked and caught her wrists.

"Is that really such a bad thing?" He asked.

"Yes! We have our whole lives ahead of us!" Johanna snapped.

"I love you. You love me. We're not the stupid kids we used to be…We can handle this, I know we can." Blight grinned.

"You're changing the diapers." Johanna said, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course." Blight kissed her gently.

"Clove's gonna freak."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"A bit of both." Johanna sighed, running a hand through her hand.

"Well, we'll deal with that too." Blight said, bringing Johanna's hand up to his mouth.

…

"No! Wait!" Clove yelled after seeing Cato in the barn. She tried to turn around, but Katniss and Annie dropped her on the floor and darted out of the barn. Jackie pushed the door shut and Clove could hear it being barricaded from the other side.

"Let me out!" Clove demanded, pounding her fists against the door.

"Listen to his song!" Came Annie's muffled reply.

"I don't want to!" Clove yelled back.

"Wow. That hurts, Clo." Cato smirked. Clove turned her head and glared at him.

"Are you going to help me up then?" She snapped. Cato put down his guitar and walked over to Clove. He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to a table in the corner. He bent her ankle slightly to test it and she hissed in pain.

"It's a sprain. I'm guessing you want this bandaged?" He asked. Clove sighed and nodded in response. Cato picked up the roll of bandage from the table and carefully wrapped it firmly around Clove's ankle. He tucked the end in and retrieved the metal crutches from the opposite corner of the room.

"Try not to put too much pressure on it; you'll upset the healing process." He said.

"How do you know this stuff?" Clove asked, slipping her hands into the crutches.

"I actually donated all the proceeds of my first album to a charity that gets people with disorders playing sports. I read up on injuries and rules of games and stuff first." He said. Clove wouldn't have pegged Cato as the kind of guy to donate hundreds of thousands of pounds to charity.

"Well…I suppose I should listen to your song, right?" Clove asked, hobbling over to a hay bale.

"Sure." Cato grinned, sitting down opposite her with his guitar. He started playing and Clove closed her eyes.

_Clove's eyes are like a jungle_

_She smiles, it's like the radio_

_She whispers songs into my window_

_In words that nobody knows_

_These pretty boys on every corner_

_They watch her as she's walking home_

_Saying, "Does she know?"_

_Will you ever know?_

_You're beautiful_

_Every little piece love,_

_And don't you know_

_You're really gonna be someone,_

_Ask anyone._

_And when you find everything you looked for_

_I hope your love will lead you back to my door_

_Oh, but if it don't,_

_Stay beautiful_

_Clove finds another way to be_

_The highlight of my day_

_I'm taking pictures in my mind_

_So I can save them for a rainy day_

_It's hard to make a conversation_

_When she's taking my breath away_

_I should say, hey, by the way..._

_You're beautiful_

_Every little piece love,_

_And don't you know_

_You're really gonna be someone,_

_Ask anyone._

_And when you find everything you looked for_

_I hope your love will lead you back to my door_

_Oh, but if it don't,_

_Stay beautiful_

_If you and I are a story_

_That never gets told_

_If what you are is a daydream_

_I'll never get to hold,_

_At least you'll know..._

_You're beautiful_

_Every little piece love,_

_And don't you know_

_You're really gonna be someone,_

_Ask anyone._

_And when you find everything you looked for,_

_I hope your love leads you back to my front door._

_Oh, but if it don't_

_Will you stay_

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful_

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful_

_Oh, but if it don't,_

_Stay beautiful_

_Stay beautiful_

"That…Was actually really sweet." Clove said, smiling slightly. Cato felt heat rise to his cheeks, although he rarely blushed.

"It's about you." He said simply.

"Well, I figured. You know, seeing as you lock me in a barn just so I would hear it." Clove said. They both laughed for a few seconds.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Cato said, putting his guitar aside and moving to sit next to Clove.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. Maybe we can be friends." Clove smiled.

"I can't be you friend, Clove. It'll hurt too damn much when you met some other guy like Darius." Cato frowned. Clove placed her hands on Cato's cheeks.

"God, I was hoping you would you say something like that." She said, pulling his face down to hers to kiss him. Cato's own hands found her waist, pulling her as close as possible as he kissed her back adoringly. After a few seconds they broke away, gasping for air.

"I like you. A lot." Cato blurted.

"You know what?" Clove grinned. "I think I really like you too."


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

The next day, the reporters returned. This time they had each brought a partner, resulting in twenty reporters all yelling from the front driveway.

"The vultures are back." Clove said, throwing herself on the sofa next to Cato. He pulled her onto his knee, careful not to knock her ankle, and rested his chin on her head.

"Do something about them then if they bother you so much." Katniss shrugged. She was sat next to Peeta on the sofa opposite Cato and Clove, and Annie and Finnick were crammed into the armchair next to them.

"Come with me." Cato said, standing and pulling Clove up with him.

"Why?" She frowned, hobbling behind him towards the front door.

"I want them leave us alone. I want them to leave _you _alone." Cato sighed, releasing her upper arm and pushing open the front door. Immediately, cameras started flashing. Cato remained unfazed as he walked down the porch steps with Clove trailing awkwardly behind him.

"Clove is just another fan. Another face. So you may as well leave, there's no more story here." He said calmly.

"He's an asshole, it'll never happen." Clove said bitterly, glaring at Cato. The reporters grumbled and some turned to leave. Eventually, only five remained.

"There's a story here _somewhere_." The woman Clove had assaulted said, narrowing her eyes at the couple.

"You're wrong." Cato said, walking back up the steps and into the house. With a roll of her eyes, Clove followed him. She slammed the front door with her crutch.

"What the hell? You say you like me and write me a song, but then you tell reporters that I'm nothing? I don't get you!" Clove yelled, slapping Cato's chest before grabbing her crutch again.

"Hey, calm down." Cato laughed.

"Fuck you." Clove huffed, limping away from Cato.

"Clove." He caught her by the waist and spun her around.

"What?" She snapped, her crutches falling to the fall as she rested her hands on his shoulders.

"You don't mean nothing. You mean a hell of a lot." He whispered, his lips grazing her ear.

"Then why did you say I was just another face?" Clove asked, a shiver running down her spine.

"If they find out we're together they won't leave you alone, and I don't want you to be famous because you're involved with me. I want you to be a star because the world hears your music and hears your soul." Cato said sincerely.

"Oh, so we're together now are we?" Clove grinned, pulling Cato closer to her.

"Of course." Cato smiled, bending his head down slightly to kiss her. She deepened the kiss by moving her arms from his shoulders to around his neck. Cato lifted Clove off of the ground slightly when Marvel came thundering down the stairs.

"Guys, get a room!" He laughed. Cato and Clove pulled away from each other and Clove picked up her crutches.

"You have a tape measure around your neck." Clove stated.

"I know. I'm designing a dress for Glimmer." Marvel explained. Clove raised an eyebrow.

"She up there?"

"Yeah, I just took her measurements. Why?"

"She only wants a dress because she wanted you to take her measurements." Clove said, rolling her eyes.

"No she didn't." Marvel frowned.

"Trust me; she did. She always has a plan to get the guy she likes." Clove laughed.

"She likes me?" Marvel asked, a huge grin breaking out on his face.

"Duh." Clove rolled her eyes again and crutched her way into the living room, leaving Cato and Marvel to discuss…Whatever they wanted to discuss. She really didn't care. Katniss, Peeta, Annie and Finnick were no longer in the living room. Instead, Johanna was sat on the couch flipping through a magazine.

"Hey Jo." Clove said, sitting down next to her half-sister and propping her ankle up on the footrest.

"Hey, kid. What's up with your foot?" Johanna asked, putting the Farmer's Weekly magazine down.

"Jackie shoved me over yesterday and I twisted it. It's not a big deal, but she had better be sleeping with one eye open." Clove smirked.

"You have my sense of humour, young one." Johanna grinned, high fiving Clove.

"I have something to tell you." Her older sister said.

"Get out with it then." Clove said, leaning back on the couch.

"You better get used to being called 'Auntie Clove'." Johanna smirked.

"You're kidding me." Clove grinned.

"Nope. I am one hundred percent preggers." Johanna smiled.

"That's great." Clove laughed.

"It's not so bad, I guess."

"What does Blight think?"

"He's pretty happy, actually." Johanna admitted.

"Well, he _is _three years older than you." Clove frowned.

"I've known him since we were fifteen, Clove. He's not going to molest me." Johanna snorted, resting a hand on her still small stomach.

"Well, I should hope not." Clove grinned. "How far gone are you?"

"I don't know, a month?" Johanna shrugged, moving her hand again and stretching.

"You don't know?"

"That's what I just said."

"What are you going to name it?" Clove asked, leaning her back against Johanna's shoulder.

"I'm not sure yet. Callie's a nice name for a girl. If it's a boy, Blight wants to name it after his father." Johanna said.

"As long as you don't name it after our own father, your baby will have a great name." Clove said sourly.

"Do…Do you think he'll want to meet the baby once it's born?" For a moment, Johanna lost the hardness in her eyes. She lost the attitude. She lost her overall badass-ness. A look of hope flickered across her face and Clove wanted so badly for the answer to be' Yes. Yes, he'll care. He'll spoil the baby rotten and love it like I know he still love us.'

"No." Clove answered simply. Johanna's hard exterior returned and she snorted.

"Well, we don't give a damn about him anyway. He's just some jackass famous guy who we don't give a shit about." She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Damn straight."


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :) Each chapter is now going to be a month after the other until Johanna has the baby. And thanks for thee 100+ reviews. :)**

**Month Two**

"Clove, go make me a sandwich." Johanna said through her mouthful of vinegar-covered prawn cocktail chips.

"Make it yourself." Clove snorted, not looking up from her homework.

"I can't. My insides are busy." Johanna protested, shovelling more food into her mouth.

"Doing what? Eating disgusting food?"

"No! They're making a baby!" The doorbell sounded and Clove jumped to her feet.

"I'll get it!" She yelled, mainly to avoid making Johanna her third sandwich that week.

"Bitch." Johanna muttered under her breath, rubbing her still flat stomach as Clove jogged out of the room. She pulled the front door open and gasped.

"What the hell are _you _doing here?" Clove snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Can't a man visit his daughters?" Allan Burrows smirked at Clove from the porch, decked out in a designer jacket and jeans. His briefcase was dangling from his right hand and Clove wanted nothing more than to slam the door in his face.

"No. Guys like _you_ can't." Clove hissed. _I can't slam the door. Johanna might want to see him._

"Now now, Clove. I raised you for six years. You could at least be civil to me." Allan frowned. He stepped into the farmhouse and set his briefcase down.

"Bite me." Clove snapped.

"Clove, who's at the door?" Johanna yelled from the dining room.

"The biggest idiot in the world!" Clove yelled back, keeping her glare trained on their father.

"I thought Cato was upstairs!"

"Just come here!"

"Oh my God." Johanna mumbled when she joined them in the wide hallway. "You have _got _to be kidding me."

"Hello to you too, Johanna." Allan laughed.

"That wasn't a joke." Johanna said in a monotonous voice.

"The _joke _is you being here. You have no right to come back to us like this." Clove snapped, her voice only wobbling slightly.

"Clove, Johanna-"

"No. It's been eleven _years_, 'dad'. I haven't heard from you in eleven fucking years so get the hell out of my house!" Clove screamed, shoving Allan. He stepped backwards and dusted off his jacket.

"Clove, are you okay?" Cato asked, running down the stairs. "Oh my God."

"Johanna, why is Cato Woods in your house?" Allan asked, turning away from Clove and Cato slipped a protective arm around her shoulder.

"Ask Clove." Johanna said sourly, glaring at him. He turned to face Clove with one eyebrow raised. Clove and Johanna both got their dark hair from him, but neither had his eyes.

"Why is my next project in your household?" He asked.

"Your next project?! You won't go anywhere near him!" Clove yelled, shoving her father away from her again.

"I've been meaning to contact his agent about a part. This is my career and it's none of your damn business, Clove." Allan snapped, glaring back at Clove.

"I'm not taking the part." Cato said calmly.

"You don't even know what it is."

"I'm not taking the part." Cato repeated. "With all due respect sir, I think you should leave."

"Why are you here anyway? It's not like you could ever actually _care _about us." Johanna asked icily.

"I'm in town on business and I thought I'd come by to congratulate my pregnant daughter." Allan said.

"Well you've said it. You can leave now." Johanna responded firmly.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"God dad, I don't-"

"Or is it a fuck up like Clove?" Allan smirked. Clove knew he was only trying to make her angry. She also knew that he had succeeded. She lunged at her father, but Cato pulled her back by her shoulder before he hands could make contact with his face.

"Calm down!" He hissed in her ear.

"Clove won't hit you." Johanna said, shoving him onto the porch. "But that doesn't mean _I _won't."

"Wha-" Johanna cut him off with a slap to the face before slamming the door. Breathing heavily, Clove broke away from Cato's grip and hugged Johanna tightly.

"We don't need him, kid. We never needed a father. We're strong." Johanna whispered, hugging Clove back.

"Men are chumps." Clove mumbled.

"Got it in one, kiddo. Now go get changed, Mandy and Nick will be back soon and I doubt they want to see you for dinner in your wellies." Johanna laughed, releasing Clove.

"Fine. You should go find Blight. Tell him…Tell him what happened." Clove coughed awkwardly. Johanna nodded and left the room to go back to the barn.

"You okay?" Cato asked gently.

"Yeah." Clove sighed. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Cato stretched out his arms and Clove stepped into them.

"It always amazes me how strong you are." Cato said.

"Everyone breaks, Cato. Even me and I'm Super Bitch." Clove replied. They both laughed for a few seconds before entering into a comfortable silence.

"I'm not even going to pretend I know what you're going through." He muttered in her ear.

"You don't have too. I never told you what growing up with him as my father was like." Clove sighed into Cato's shoulder.

"Keep it to yourself if you want."

"No, I want to tell you."

"Then I'm all ears."

"Okay." Clove took a deep breath. "I couldn't have been older than two months when my mother left. She'd been cheating on my father with Nick for almost five years. I don't blame her. Anyway, she must have thought my dad was capable of looking after me. Half the reason I'm kind of small now is because he _wasn't_. He was alright at first, but when I reached five…He was terrible father. He stayed out late working. We lived off of cereal and microwave meals because he didn't know how to make anything else. If I got sick, he'd leave me at home with microwave curry while he worked because I couldn't go to school but he had no time for me. Then when I was six, social services were called by the neighbours and my mother was tracked down. I don't think anyone will ever understand how shocked I was to find out I had a whole new family. I loved it back then, but I've just been feeling hatred towards my mother for the past few years for leaving me with my father. It hurt even more two years ago when I found out I had another sister. A stepsister, Prim. She spends most of her time at Rue's. I don't feel like I fit in with my mother's family. I'm just a reminder to Nick that not everything in his life is perfect. I love my sisters and my cousins. I love my aunts and my uncles. I'm just _nothing _like any of them. The only person I'm anything like is Johanna and I'll be losing her soon to Blight and the baby."

"Johanna won't forget you. And you don't need to be like anyone. You're unique, okay? It's doesn't matter to me that you're not from around here, or tha you're not like your other family members. It shouldn't matter to them, either. You're amazing, and feisty, and beautiful. You're not perfect but you're perfect to _me _and as long as there's an _us_, you won't feel like you need to be like the others. I'll make you feel incredible just the way you are." Cato said when she was done with her rant. Clove lifted her head and stared Cato straight in the eyes.

"You're lame." She said, before kissing him on the mouth.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the late update. I'm going away on Sunday, so I won't be able to update but I can still write. I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

**Month Three Part One:**

When Clove stepped out onto the porch on Monday morning to go to school, she expected to be met by the vultures that called themselves the press. Instead, she was met by a group of girls wearing shirts with Cato Woods' face on. Each one of them had a murderous glint in their eyes.

"That's her." One of the girls said. Her dark hair was cut short.

"She's not even that pretty." Another one, this time tall with blonde hair, snapped.

"She is." A girl with curly red hair muttered.

"Shut up, Melanie." The blonde haired girl scowled. There were at least ten of them on the dust track and Clove could feel a riot coming on.

"Um…" She said awkwardly as she walked down she porch steps. Immediately, the girls closed in on her.

"You think you can take him from us?" A tall girl with dark brown hair asked menacingly.

"He's _ours_." The blonde girl narrowed her eyes at Clove.

"Bitch got a lot of attitude." Clove said, raising an eyebrow and folding her arms across her chest. "Care to back that up, blondie?"

"He's been staying in your house for four months, dating you for three. We've been following his career for _years_." The girl said, a disgusted look on her face.

"We're not dating." Clove said coolly, deciding to go along with what Cato had told the press.

"Oh, please." A girl with white-blonde hair sneered.

"You can fool the press, but not us. The name's Carrie, and I think you should back off of Cato." The blonde girl said, stepping forward.

"And why exactly would I do that, Carrie?" Clove asked sweetly. Her fists were clenched and she was itching to punch the bitch in the nose. Before Carrie could answer, one of the girls screamed. Another girl joined in, then another and another until they were all screaming. They abandoned Clove and circled around Cato, who was now standing at the foot of the porch. Carrie shot Clove a smirk and pushed her way through the crowd of girls to get to Cato.

"Cato!" She beamed. "Remember me?"

"Of course." Cato grinned. "I like to remember my fans, especially the ones who run such popular fan pages."

_Huh. _Clove thought to herself. _So she runs a popular Cato fan page. Figures._

"We've missed you." Carrie pouted.

"Come back to New York!" One girl pleaded.

"Yeah, come back!"

"Please, Cato!"

"I can't, I'm needed here. However, I will gladly sign autographs." Cato smiled. He caught Clove's eye and mouthed _just a second_, as one girl handed him a pen and they all pulled mini autograph books out of their pockets. Cato took the time to sign each one, leaving Carrie until last.

"Want to sign my shirt?" She winked.

"Tell you what, I'll give you a special signature." Cato said, winking back. Clove's jaw dropped. _Is he seriously going to do that? _She asked herself. Cato scrawled his name on Carrie's forehead before tossing another girl the pen and approaching Clove, who was laughing at the annoyed look on Carrie's face.

"Come on, Clo. In the car." He laughed with her before opening the door. Clove climbed in and Cato got in the car on his own side. He blew a kiss to his fan girls, who screamed, before driving down the road towards Glimmer's house.

"Your groupies are annoying." Clove said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and checking the time.

"They're _fans_. Not groupies. My groupies are much hotter than them." Cato grinned. "But you'll always be the apple of my eye." He added when he caught Clove's grin.

"If you start singing, I swear I'll-"

"_Beautiful girls all over the world_

_I could be chasing but my time would be wasted_

_Because they got nothing on you, baby_

_Noting on you, baby_

_They might say hi, and I might say_-"

Clove waited until the car was hardly moving before leaping out and racing up to the front door.

"Help!" She yelled, pounding on the door. "He's molesting my ears!"

"How rude." Cato said, walking up the path behind her. He slipped an arm around her waist as Darius opened the door.

"Clove." He said coldly, before shooting Cato a glare. Cato wanted to grin back, but he knew he'd only get a punch in the face.

"Uh, hey." Clove said awkwardly, her hand finding Cato's which was resting against her hip.

"Move!" Glimmer yelled, charging down the hallway, past Darius, out of the house and down the lawn.

"No!" Clove shouted, but it was too late. Glimmer had already claimed the front passenger seat in the Ferrari.

"I know where you keep the spare keys." Clove smirked. Cato eyes widened.

"You wouldn't." He said, but Clove took off down the path and practically dived into the car. She pulled they keys from a hidden compartment and started the engine.

"Not cool, Clove." Cato grumbled, slouching into the back seat.

"Man up." Glimmer giggled, high-fiving Clove.

That was how Cato Woods ended up being driven to a high school he didn't even attend by two laughing girls who had taken his Ferrari hostage.

"Hey, wait." Cato called as Clove and Glimmer started walking towards the school building.

"What?" Clove asked, turning around.

"I have something for you!" Cato jogged over to Glimmer and Clove.

"What is it?" Clove asked suspiciously, accepting the envelope.

"It gets you out of afternoon lessons. I'll pick you up at the gate at lunch, okay?" Cato asked.

"Okay." Clove nodded her head and he pecked her on the cheek.

"Love you!" Cato called as he walked away.

"Love you too!" Clove called back. She turned to Glimmer. Her blue eyes were wide and she was gaping a little.

"What?" Clove asked. Then she realised what she had said. "Crap!"

…

Johanna Mason had never been particularly fond of dressing up. As she sat in a restaurant with Blight waiting for Cato and Clove to show up, she awkwardly fiddled with the belt on the dress she was wearing. It was a size bigger than she would normally wear, which made her feel like a bit of a fatass. She dreaded to think what she'd be like at seven or eight months.

"Stop fidgeting." Blight said, sipping his root bear. "You look great."

"Lame." Johanna sighed. Just then, Cato and Clove walked in. Clove had changed from the clothes she wore to school into a blue dress, and Cato was wearing a black suit and his dark sunglasses. They both looked slightly awkward and neither would look at the other.

"I have to pee." Clove said when they reached the table. "Johanna does too."

"Um, yep. I have to pee also." Johanna said, allowing Clove to drag her from her chair and into the bathroom.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Johanna hissed when Clove had slammed the door behind them.

"He told me he loves me!" Clove hissed back. Johanna cocked an eyebrow.

"So?"

"So he said he _loves _me!" Clove said. Her voice was full of panic.

"That's a good thing." Johanna smirked.

"No it isn't! Love sucks!" Clove protested. "It tore apart _my_ mom, it tore apart _your_ mom and it tore apart our lives!"

"You can't let our parents bad experiences cloud your judgement. Cato cares about you." Johanna said, rolling her eyes at Clove's dramatic-ness.

"I know that. I care about him too, I just don't know if I love him yet." Clove sighed and raked a hand through her pony tail.

"When you love him, you'll know." Johanna said, smiling for a second before scowling again. "Now come one, wimp."

"Whatever." Clove frowned at Johanna and followed her back to the table.

…

"I meant it, you know. I could tell that you didn't...But I did."

Clove looked up from her ice cream. It felt like Cato's stare was going to bore holes into her eye sockets, it was so intense.

"You're right, I don't love you." Clove said calmly. Cato frowned slightly. "I'm not saying I won't ever love you. I'm just saying I don't right now."

"I get it, okay? You didn't have an easy childhood and seeing your parents' marriage fail couldn't have been easy. I'll wait, okay? I'll wait for you." Cato said sincerely.

"Well, that's all I can ask of you." Clove smiled and gripped his hand over the table.

"Excuse me!" Blight stood up and addressed the whole restaurant. "I have something to say!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Johanna snapped from her seat next to Clove.

"Sitting across from me is the most beautiful, most amazing girl in the world!" Blight yelled. "I want all of you to know that I want to marry her!"

"Oh God." Johanna muttered, face-palming. Blight pulled a ring out of his pocket.

"Johanna Mason, will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

"Yes, I'll marry you. Now sit back down!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry for the wait. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**Part Two:**

Clove hated wedding conversations. The whole car ride home, Cato teased her abut wearing pink dresses, having a flower behind her ear and having to dance the waltz with some guy who was apparently her third cousin twice removed. When Clove mentioned on the porch that that meant she wouldn't be dancing with him, he shut up and let her unlock the door.

"We're home!" She yelled into the house as Blight's car pulled into the driveway behind Cato's.

"And Johanna's engaged!" Cato added. Mandy rushed down the stairs to greet them just as Johanna and Blight walked through the door.

"Engaged? We have to celebrate!" She smiled warmly.

"But you don't like me." Johanna said bluntly, and Clove resisted the urge to face palm.

"You're Clove's family, and that makes you our family too." Mandy said confidently. "Now help me in the kitchen!"

"Ow!" Cato yelped as Mandy grabbed him by the ear and dragged him towards the kitchen. Laughing, Clove followed them.

"Marvel! Finnick, Peeta! Annie, Jackie, Katniss, Gale and Glimmer get your lazy butts down here and chopping vegetables!" Mandy yelled from the kitchen.

"Glimmer's here? Come to see Marvel, did she?" Clove asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. The poor girl's smitten." Mandy said, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a raw chicken.

"I was saving this for Sunday, but today's a special occasion."

"Mom, we just ate at the restaurant." Clove said, rolling her eyes. Mandy dumped the chicken in Cato's arms and he held it away from his body.

"I don't care; you can make some more room in your small stomachs. Now get to chopping that chicken, boy." Mandy turned several dials on the oven and then pulled various vegetables out of the bottom fridge draws. The others entered the room and she handed carrots to Glimmer, potatoes to Katniss, green beans to Annie, a masher to Peeta, cauliflower to Finnick, broccoli to Marvel, gravy mix to Jackie and frozen peas to Marvel.

"Clove, help Cato with the chicken. Oh, and everyone be careful with the knives!" Mandy pointed at the rack of knives and kitchen utensils on the wall. Katniss grabbed a peeler and paired up with Peeta and the others grabbed knives except for Jackie.

"What the hell are you doing to the poor thing?" Clove asked Cato, who was prodding the top of the chicken skin with his knife.

"I was hoping that if I prodded it enough times it would disappear and I'd be back in New York with my cook." Cato shrugged. He knew it was the wrong thing to say when he saw the stony look on Clove's face.

"Whatever." She mumbled, and started to expertly slice and dice the chicken.

"I'm here because I want to be. You know that, right?" Cato set his knife on the counter and watched Clove using her own. He had to admit that when it came to chopping, she was better than his personal chef.

"No, you're here because my mother and stepdad are letting you stay." Clove said, her gaze on the chicken.

"I'm free to leave at any time you know. I'm here with you and the other because I _want _to be." Cato insisted.

"You can take over from here then." Clove muttered, stepping away from the chicken to wash her hands.

"Hey Mandy, should I-" Glimmer was cut off by Cato's yelp as she walked into him. The knife slipped and the blade came down on the webbing between his thumb and pointer finger. Blood immediately started gushing from the slit, and Cato wrapped it in his t-shirt.

"Oh my God." Clove gasped, her hands clamping around her mouth. "He needs to go to hospital. He could die of blood loss. Or he might have to has hand removed, or his fingers chopped off. What if bleeds all over the floor, trips and knocks hims-" Clove stopped rambling when Glimmer slapped her around the face.

"He's going to be fine, stop worrying." Glimmer rolled her eyes.

"I'm not worrying, I'm stating the facts." Clove insisted.

"I'm calling the local doctor." Jackie stated, pulling her phone out of her jeans pocket.

"The doctor? The _doctor_?! Call the fucking ambulance!" Clove shouted.

"Clove!" Mandy scolded.

"I'm going to be fine Clo, it's just a bit of blood." Cato said calmly, gripping her wrist with his good hand. "Stop freaking out."

"I'm not!" She protested.

"Please get here quickly. He's bleeding all over the floor and my cousin is about to implode." Jackie said into her phone.

"The doctor won't be here in time! Cato's going to _die_!" Clove yelled. She was aware that she wasn't exactly _calm_, and usually she could handle blood, but seeing blood gushing from Cato's hand was freaking her out. Johanna burst into the room, an angry glare on her face.

"I can hear you from the living room, kid. You need to cool off." She grabbed Clove's shoulder and tugged her out of the room and into the front yard.

"Let go!" Clove scowled, trying to pull out of Johanna's grip.

"You need to calm down." Johanna snorted. A smart black car pulled up on the side of the road and a tall woman in a black skirt, glasses, shirt and jacket got out, carrying a white box marked with a red cross.

"Excuse me?" The woman made her way up the driveway. "This is the house that called, I believe. I am Doctor Daniels."

"My boyfriend's inside, bleeding to death." Clove said gravely. The doctor shot her a shocked look.

"Why didn't you call for an ambulance?"

"He's not dying." Johanna rolled her eyes. "He cut his finger."

"Wouldn't a band aid be more…appropriate?" The doctor pushed her glasses further up her nose.

"He split the webbing in between his fingers. Come on, I'll show." Clove sighed and led the doctor inside. Mandy now had Cato sat on the dining table with his hand wrapped up in kitchen paper.

"Ah." Doctor Daniels said after inspecting the cut. "Stitches will be necessary, I should be able to finish them in precisely six minutes."

"Just hurry." Cato mumbled. Clove sat down next to him on the table.

"Squeeze my hand if it hurts, okay?" Clove said, taking Cato's hand.

Later, when she was inspecting the tiny fingertip-shaped bruises on her hand, Clove decided that it was the worst thing she had ever suggested to Cato.


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm sorry this took so long. :( I was ill s few weeks ago, but other than that I'm just really lazy. I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**Month Four**

If there was one thing Clove hated, it was dress shopping. If there were two things she hated, they were dress shopping and bridal shops. Johanna's aunt, Sally, had flown in from Colorado and had gone into full-on wedding mode. This week alone, Clove had been forced to three different florists, a cake shop and two churches with Sally and Johanna. Today, she decided, would be the worst shopping trip of all. She had already tried on four bridesmaid dresses, but Johanna decided that none of them were right. Clove was starting to think that her older sister was deliberately torturing her. She was two dresses away from strangling herself with the white lace ribbon belt that was wrapped around the waist of the current dress she was wearing.

"I don't know. What do you think, Jojo?" Sally asked, tapping a red-nailed finger against her chin.

"It's way too girly. Here." Johanna took a dress from a rack and shoved it at Clove. "Last one, I promise."

Clove emerged from the changing room a few minutes later. The previous dresses she had tried on had been blue, white and gold, seeing as Johanna and Blight's colour scheme was blue and gold. This dress, however, was pale blue and black with a black sash. It was knee length, whereas all the other dresses had been ankle length.

"I like it." Sally smiled. "Nice choice there Jojo."

"I try." Johanna grinned, resting a hand on her stomach. She was looking pretty big, considering she was only sixteen weeks pregnant.

"Finally." Clove groaned, before trudging into the changing room. She changed back into her t-shirt and jeans and when she came out of the curtained changing room, Cato was waiting for her.

"Please tell me you're here to take me home." Clove sighed in desperation.

"Sorry, ladies. I'm going to have to steal Clove away for a while." Cato laughed, taking Clove's bags.

"I'll just have to show you my dress when I get back then, kid." Johanna said. They'd pre-ordered it online, and Clove was a little worried. Johanna didn't want a typical wedding, so Clove was hoping that she didn't show up looking like a zombie bride.

"That's fine. I'll see you guys later." Clove grabbed Cato by the hand and tugged him out of the shop.

"You seemed eager to get out of there." Cato said as they got into his car.

"If I hadn't got out of there when I did, I would have exploded into strips of lace and ribbon." Clove sighed.

"I didn't think Johanna was the type to turn into a bridezilla." Cato smirked, pulling out of the parking spot.

"Don't even get me started on that." Clove groaned. "All she's been talking about all week is flower arrangements and dresses with elastic waistbands and stuff. She's not even getting married for another four weeks!"

"This would make a great movie. You know, _'The Bride from Hell' _and then the sequel, _'Hell Bride Returns'_." Cato laughed, pulling the car into the sloped driveway of Clove's house.

"Freak." She muttered under her breath.

"I'm not a freak. I'm an _actor_." They got out of the car and Clove unlocked the door.

"What's the difference?"

Cato politely ignored her as her shut the door. He was nervous, more nervous than he had been in a while. Clove had no idea, but Cato knew he was good at hiding how he felt. It kind of came with the job.

"Ow!" A shriek sounded from the living room. Rolling her eyes, Clove went to investigate and Cato followed her. Annie, Katniss and Finnick were laughing on the couches. Peeta was sprawled out on the floor below them.

"Do I even want to _know _what happened?" Clove sighed.

"Probably not." Katniss laughed.

"Whatever." Clove muttered. She turned on her heel, walked into the hallway and then ran up the stairs. She didn't bother to wait and see if Cato would follow her- she knew he would.

"So what's the date on the wedding?" Cato asked, sitting down next to Clove on her bed.

"February 12th." She replied. "I can't wait till it's over and done with."

"Have you ever wanted to do something spontaneous?"

"I live on a farm, Cato. Of course I have."

"Come back to New York with me." He whispered.

"What?" Clove's jaw visibly dropped.

"You've known me for five months, that's enough to determine that I'm not a psychopath or anything. I have a fairly big house, so it's not like you'll have no space. There's great security, you'd always be safe and-" Clove cut his rambling off by kissing him softly on the lips.

"I don't know. I mean, you'd get to see me every day. What's in it for me?" Clove smirked.

"All _this_." Cato gestured to his face. They both laughed before Cato said, "Seriously, though. You know how I feel about you and I can't stand the thought of leaving and not seeing you for months. I love you."

"I love you too." Clove said. Cato smiled and kissed her lightly.

"Well, it took you long enough. I thought you'd be a goner within a week of meeting me. Most are." Cato winked.

"Yes, I was secretly in love with your asshole ways." Clove rolled her eyes again.

"What made you decide to give me a chance?" Cato asked quietly.

"I hadn't been fair to you." Clove admitted.

"I was a dick." Cato sighed.

"Yeah, I know. You were rude to my mother, that's not exactly a turn on." Clove pointed out.

"I'm genuinely sorry for that."

"I'm not coming back to New York with you until my niece or nephew is born, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Clove." Cato grinned. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"We'll leave before it learns how to scream the house down."


	18. Chapter 18

**I know a lot of people say this when they haven't been updating, but I genuinely HAVE been really busy. I'm sorry. D: I don't own The Hunger Games. Also, sorry if the format's weird, I broke Word.**

**Month Five:**

"So, why am I here?" Glimmer asked. She was sprawled out on her back on Clove's bed, lazily tossing a battered stuffed monkey up in the air and then catching it.

"When are you _not _here?" Clove snorted. She was sat in the middle of the room, spinning idly in her desk chair.

"Oh, shut up." Glimmer threw the toy at Clove, who ducked. The monkey collided softly with the wall. "I mean why today and now specifically."

"How far would you go to achieve your dreams?" Clove asked, catching Glimmer by surprise.

"I guess…I guess I would do whatever it takes." She responded slowly.

"Even if that meant leaving everything you'd ever known and everyone you've ever loved?" Clove asked. She stopped spinning in her chair, and Glimmer sat up.

"Clove, where are you going with this?" She asked.

"Just answer the question."

"You know that I want to launch my own cosmetics line in a few years. I'm not sure what I'd do to achieve that dream, but I'd move to the other side of the country if I absolutely had too." Glimmer sighed. A small smile appeared on Clove's lips.

"Thanks." She said sincerely.

"Don't think you're going to get away without telling me why you asked." Glimmer said, raising her eyebrows.

"My mom's been acting really weird." Clove said.

"Subject change much? But yeah, I've kind of noticed that too." Glimmer responded.

"Cato asked me to come back to New York with him." Clove blurted. She winced slightly when Glimmer's jaw visibly dropped.

"When?" She spluttered.

"After I got back from dress shopping." Clove admitted.

"Why did you wait so long to tell me? Are you going? If you are, when are you leaving? Who else knows?" Glimmer hit Clove with the rapid fire questions.

"I didn't know what you would say. I told him I'd go, we're leaving after the baby's born and nobody else knows. Not even my mother." Clove answered.

"This so isn't fair." Glimmer sighed.

"How come?"

"You get to live with my idol!"

…

"Hey Katniss?" Peeta's head appeared through the gap between Katniss' ajar door and the door frame.

"Hi Peeta." Katniss smiled at him. He returned the smile warmly. "Come in."

Peeta stepped into Katniss' white walled bedroom. Her bedspread, wardrobe and rug were all forest green as well as her curtains.

"Nice." Peeta commented, his eyes flicking around the room.

"Thanks." Katniss answered politely. Peeta sat down on the bed opposite her, and Katniss threw her book aside.

"What are you reading?"

"It's called The Hunger Games; it's about this girl called Jennifer who has to fight to the death in an arena filled with twenty three other tributes. They're making it into a movie sometime next year." Peeta could tell by the way her eyes lit up that she was really getting into her book.

"Oh yeah? I think Cato's auditioning for that sometime in May." Peeta said.

"Really? Do you know anything else?"

"Just that it won't be released until early next year." They sat in silence for a few seconds. Peeta drummed his fingers against his legs, desperately trying to think of something to say.

"Want to play a game?" Peeta asked.

"What kind of game?" Katniss eyed him suspiciously.

"Twenty questions." He grinned winningly at her. Katniss hesitated before responding,

"Okay. You start."

"What's your favourite colour?"

"Green."

"Favourite number?"

"Nineteen."

"Why?" Peeta asked curiously.

"It just is." Katniss shrugged before gesturing for him to carry on.

"What's your favourite day of the week?"

"Thursday. It's the day I go hunting with my dad."

"Favourite food?"

"Lamb stew with dried plumbs."

"Favourite month?"

"April, when Prim was born." Katniss smiled fondly at the memory of Prim as a baby.

"Favourite band?"

"Queen."

"That's a great choice." Peeta grinned. "Do you love?"

"Excuse me?" Katniss squeaked, her eyes wide.

"Do you love me?" Peeta asked again. Katniss' mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of a suitable response. She couldn't.

"I-I…" Was all she managed to get out.

"That was a stupid question. We've only been on three dates. I, um, I guess I'll catch you later." Peeta said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. He got up to leave, but Katniss yanked him back down again.

"No!" She blurted. "I-I do. I _do _love you, Peeta. I've been living with you for five months, how could I not?"

"I love you too." Peeta grinned, before placing his hand on the back of Katniss' neck and pulling her in for a kiss.

…

Cato sighed heavily as he pulled off his muddy boots. The downside of living on a farm, Cato decided, was that he actually had to get up early and _work_. Living in New York hadn't always been a picnic, but it had been remarkably better than the hell he was putting his body through now.

"Cato? Can you come into the kitchen, please?" A woman's voice sounded from down the hallway. It wasn't Clove's voice that mostly consisted of boredom, nor Effie's upper-class shriek or Annie's soft, quiet voice.

"Mandy." Cato muttered to himself. He walked to the kitchen to see if he had been right. He had been.

"You need a hand?" Cato asked gesturing to the dishes and spoons she was scrubbing away at in the sink.

"No sweetie, it's okay. I wanted to ask you a question." Mandy brushed off his offer, but Cato noted that she looked slightly nervous.

"Sure." He shrugged.

"You…You like it here, don't you? You like the farm, and you like Oregon, right?" She asked, flustered. Mandy dropped her dishcloth, and quickly bent to pick it up before Cato could. She winced slightly when her back bent, and again when she straightened it out.

"Of course I do. The farm's great, Clove's here, Peeta's with me and you're and excellent cook." Cato said, earning a smile from the aging woman.

"So if I asked you not too, you wouldn't take Clove back to New York with you?" Mandy chewed her lip nervously. Cato's blood ran cold.

"Did Clove tell you about that?" He asked.

"Yes." Mandy said after hesitating.

"Mrs Burrows, I know that you love your daughter…But surely this is her decision to make." Cato said. He felt uncomfortable and rude slouched against the fridge, so he straightened up. Mandy sighed and wrapped the dishcloth around the handle of a cupboard.

"Cato…" Her voice was almost a whisper. "I have cancer."

**If any of you ship Annie and Finnick, I'm writing a fic called 'The Mad House'. It's up, but it's not doing so good so I'm going to work on the summary. I'd really appreciate it if you would check it out. :)**


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